PITTSBURGH — So I went to the Flyers Training Center on Thursday with one objective in thoughts: report and write a column about Sean Couturier. Yes, it’s the Flyers’ younger core who has powered the staff’s run to its first playoff look because the (COVID-extended) 2019-20 season. But Couturier is the man who has been there the longest and been by means of probably the most. I wished to get his perspective on his profession and this second in it.
I hadn’t spoken to him in individual shortly, although, and, properly, let’s simply say I’ve slightly historical past with the Flyers.
Back in 2021, I used to be concerned in a rather memorable postgame interaction with Jake Voráček, one of many Flyers’ stars on the time. No want to enter nice element about it. I wrote a column Jake didn’t like. I nonetheless stand by what I ended up writing. He ripped me. That’s life within the huge metropolis. That incident was 5 years in the past, and as Nicolas Cage would say, type of quite a bit’s occurred since then.
I haven’t been across the Flyers lately as a lot as I as soon as was, and I figured (hoped?) the entire thing was water underneath the bridge. After all, Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim are the one gamers who had been on the staff then and are on the staff now. But you by no means know.
Sitting in entrance of his locker after follow, Couturier chatted with Flyers radio voice Tim Saunders. When they completed their dialog, I approached Couturier.
“Hey, Sean,” I mentioned. “I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Mike Sielski from The Inquirer. Was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk.”
He was nonetheless sitting down. He regarded up at me.
» READ MORE: Sean Couturier has been at his best against the Penguins. The Flyers could use that version of him now. | Sielski
“It doesn’t matter what I say,” he mentioned. “You’re just going to write f——g s—.”
Gulp.
It was, phrase for phrase, precisely what Voráček had mentioned throughout that notorious press convention. My God, can these guys maintain a grudge or what? For a half-second, I girded myself for a confrontation.
Then Couturier grinned an enormous, toothless, Bobby-Clarke-like grin. He prolonged his hand and burst out laughing.
He received me.
I exhaled and laughed and thanked him, and we had chat for a column. When I shared that anecdote Friday evening with former Flyers broadcaster Steve Coates — we had been on the identical Philly-to-Pittsburgh flight for tonight’s Game 1 — he mentioned, “Sean Couturier is a good man.”
A humorous one, too.
Stanley Cup playoffs: Flyers vs. Penguins
Game 1: Flyers at Penguins, 8 p.m. Saturday, NBCSP/ESPN
Game 2: Flyers at Penguins, 7 p.m. Monday, NBCSP/ESPN
Game 3: Penguins at Flyers, 7 p.m. Wednesday, NBCSP/TNT/truTV/HBO MAX
Game 4: Penguins at Flyers, 8 p.m. April 25, NBCSP/TBS/truTV/HBO MAX
*Game 5: Flyers at Penguins, April 27 (Time TBD)
*Game 6: Penguins at Flyers, April 29 (Time TBD)
*Game 7: Flyers at Penguins, May 2 (Time TBD)
*if crucial
