Cutter Gauthier returns to Philadelphia on Saturday as public enemy No. 1. Here’s a look back at his rocky time with the Flyers.

The Flyers host the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Typically the matchup between the two teams isn’t a must-watch but this one is. The game marks the return of former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier who forced a trade to the Ducks almost exactly a year ago.

The 20-year-old went from hero after being drafted to heel in less than two years. How? Well, here’s everything you need to know about Gauthier’s relationship with the Flyers.

» READ MORE: Trade grades: Evaluating the Cutter Gauthier-Jamie Drysdale deal

The Flyers and then general manager Chuck Fletcher select Gauthier with the fifth overall pick in the NHL draft. Gauthier, whose mother Kim hails from nearby Reading, says he is excited to play soon for the Flyers.

“I think one year in the NCAA, and then I’ll be ready to play in the National Hockey League and hopefully help the Flyers win a Stanley Cup in the near future,” Gauthier says at the time.

Before joining USA Hockey for the 2023 World Juniors, Gauthier is named the Hockey East Player of the Week after notching two goals and two assists against Boston University. The Boston College center ranks third in the nation in goals per game with 10 goals in 13 games at the time.

“I’m really focused on winning a gold with the U.S. right now,” Gauthier tells The Inquirer. “But it’s always in the back of your head. It’s something you dream of growing up as a kid, playing in the National Hockey League one day. So we’ll see when that day comes.”

The Americans win bronze on Jan. 5, and Gauthier finishes tied for fifth with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games.

Gauthier ends his freshman campaign at Boston College as the team’s leader in goals (16) and points (37) and ties for first in assists (21). Playing center, he is named the Eagles’ MVP, is a unanimous selection to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, and is also an All-Hockey East third-team pick.

Speaking to the media at the end of the season, interim general manager Danny Brière says that after discussions with Gauthier, his family, and his advisor, the Flyers prospect will return to Boston College for his sophomore season.

“I think it’s going to give him the chance to hopefully be even more dominant than he was this year,” Brière says. “Another year of World Juniors. I’m really excited about [that]. We’re going to get a bigger, better, faster, more mature Cutter Gauthier the following year.”

At just 19 years old, Gauthier is named to USA Hockey’s 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship team. Playing wing, he finishes tied for second in goals (seven) — scores a hat trick against France — and ties for fifth in points (nine) in the tournament as the Americans lose the bronze-medal game in overtime to Latvia.

After this tournament, Gauthier informs the team of his long-term plan. “He didn’t want to be a Flyer, didn’t want to be in Philadelphia, it was time to make it happen,” Brière said after the trade. “It goes back. [Gauthier’s camp] told us when he came back from the World Championship last May.”

Why didn’t he want to be a Flyer? “I don’t know,” he follows up. “We never got an answer.”

With the inner turmoil still a secret, Gauthier raises some eyebrows as he is nowhere to be seen for Flyers development camp. Initially, Brière says the forward declined the invitation to camp but then follows up five days later by saying:

“We’re assuming that it’s because he’s played a lot of hockey with the World Championship, lots of travel,” says Brière. So we’re not too worried about that. We’ll find out a little bit more. We’re trying to figure out why he didn’t want to come, but at this point, I’m not too worried about that.”

At the end of the month, skating for USA Hockey at the World Juniors Showcase, Gauthier tells NHL.com, “Was a little bit too much hockey after Worlds. Just too much for me. I wanted time with the family. So I figured it was best to stay home.”

Days after Gauthier “respectfully declined” an interview with The Inquirer through Boston College’s athletic information department, he is named to USA Hockey’s world juniors roster for a second straight year, this time as an alternate captain.

At the time, he has 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 17 games for Boston College. From the outside, the expectation is he will finish his sophomore season and then join the Flyers.

» READ MORE: Cutter Gauthier trade: Why the Flyers did it, who they got back, and what it means

Brière later says that he and Flyers president Keith Jones went to Sweden to speak with Gauthier and his representation at the tournament but, “They would not engage. ... We just wanted to be able to present our case and tell them what we’re doing here and where this organization is going. Unfortunately, we never got the chance.”

Noted to have an NHL-caliber shot, Gauthier, scores the game-winner for the U.S. in the semifinals against Finland with just over 3 minutes remaining on the clock.

The next day the Americans win gold, defeating Sweden 6-2. Named the tournament’s top forward, Gauthier finished as the co-top scorer with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists).

While taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers announce they have traded Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round selection in the 2025 NHL draft.

”He looked at us at the draft and told us he was built to be a Flyer, wanted to be a Flyer, and then a few months later, told us that he didn’t want to be a Flyer, didn’t want to play for the Flyers,” Brière said that night. “... When we realized that he refused to talk to us now, it’s been months and he didn’t want to be a Flyer, didn’t want to be in Philadelphia, it was time to make it happen.”

President Keith Jones during the NBCSP broadcast says, “If you don’t want to be a Flyer, you’re not going to be a Flyer.”

Gauthier speaks with Anaheim’s media via Zoom.

“It wasn’t one specific reason why I asked for a trade,” Gauthier says. “It was multiple, [recurring] issues that I’d seen over the past year and a half, two years of being under the Flyers organization. It kind of hit me all at once, thinking, ‘I can’t move forward with this, and I really need to step up for myself and see what’s best for my future,’ and that’s what I did.”

Gauthier wraps up his college career at Boston College with a 2-0 loss in the NCAA championship game to Flyers prospect Massimo Rizzo and the University of Denver. It came after he said in a pregame television interview that there were going to be “a lot of tears for that team over there.” Gauthier’s 38 goals are the most by a Division 1 men’s player in over 20 years.

The forward makes his NHL debut against the Vegas Golden Knights and notches an assist.

Skating at the Ducks development camp, Gauthier tells The Hockey News he is looking forward to playing the Flyers in 2024-25.

“It’s going to be an exciting game I’m pumped for it,” he said. “With everything that happened, obviously want to play well and do my thing.”

» READ MORE: Reassessing the Jamie Drysdale-Cutter Gauthier trade as the Flyers and Ducks face off a year later

Gauthier acknowledges his first matchup with the Flyers is not just another game to him.

“Obviously with all that happened, it’s definitely been a game circled on my calendar, and I’m super excited to play. It’s been a lot of anticipation leading up to the game, so I’m ready to go out there and play my game.”

When asked about the comments, coach John Tortorella responds: “Oh, don’t give a [expletive] what he says. I’m not interested in answering questions about Cutter Gauthier. Don’t wish anything bad on the kid. I’m not going to answer any questions on him.”

The Flyers beat the Ducks 3-1 at the Honda Center with Philly fans in attendance booing Gauthier every time he touches the puck in the first period. Gauthier does not record a point.

Bobby Brink throws the first hit on Gauthier and Travis Sanheim, who said the night of the trade, “If he doesn’t want to be here, we’re happy to move on and get the pieces that we did,” also gives him some extra whacks.

“Yeah for sure, I think maybe a little bit more knowing who it was,” Sanheim says when asked about it after the game. “But like I said before, we’re not worried about guys that don’t want to be in this organization. We get treated first class here and [we’re] happy with the roster that we have.”

The Flyers host the Ducks. Fans will surely display their feelings about Gauthier.

“I feel bad for Cutter when he comes, well I don’t really feel bad for Cutter when he comes to Philadelphia but it’s going to be a rough ride here and he earned it,” Flyers governor Dan Hilferty said a year ago. “Because you know what, we’re Philadelphians and we want people who want to be here with us.”

Tortorella said Olle Lycksell will play on Saturday. Recently named an AHL All-Star for the first time, Lycksell has not skated in a game since Dec. 21 for Philly. Before being recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Dec. 27, Lycksell had 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 25 games. ... Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko has been suspended two games by the Ontario Hockey League for a cross-checking incident on Jan. 8 against Erie. ... Prospect Noah Powell is joining Oshawa of the OHL. The forward, who is hearing-impaired, leaves Ohio State University where he had five points in 17 games.