Gauthier received death threats because he didn't want to play for the Flyers

Ever since he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, Cutter Gauthier has been pilloried in some circles, with social media-fueled attacks on his character after the Philadelphia Flyers essentially parted ways with their former prize prospects.

Gauthier answered questions Wednesday about the stunning deal, which saw the Flyers trade the 19-year-old Boston College standout and recent U.S. junior gold medalist to the Ducks for young defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a draft pick for the second round of 2025.

The response to reports of Gauthier's recent dealings with Philadelphia — or perhaps lack thereof — was so toxic that Gauthier said he received death threats on social media. Most of the questions Gauthier faced centered around one simple question: Why didn't he want to play for the Flyers?

“That's the question everyone is asking, and the most important thing I can say right now is that I have to keep it to myself, my family and my agent,” Gauthier said. “It has been a long process over the past few months to deal with this. I don't think this is the right time to talk about it. There may come a day when I go into details about what happened. At this point I want to keep it a private matter.”

During a 30-minute phone call with local reporters, Gauthier said his head has been “spinning a little” in the two days since the trade and emphasized that he is excited to join Anaheim after his college season concludes. He also pointed to death threats when describing the visceral reactions he received.

“There has been a lot of good and bad,” he said. “A 19-year-old kid getting a lot of death threats and a bunch of thousands and thousands of people reaching out and just saying some pretty bad things that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, it's obviously pretty hard to watch. But it's a business. With all the rumors going around that aren't true, it's kind of hard to go out and say one word or something to calm those people down a little bit.

“But you know, people are going to have an opinion. People are going to say things. I can't tell them whether they should have an opinion or not. It's definitely been a bit of a stressful situation over the last 48 hours.”

Gauthier elaborated on the threats he has received, saying: “My (direct messages) right now and Instagram are pretty crazy about what people are saying. There have been thousands and thousands of messages. I still get about five, ten minutes ago. And it's quite cruel what people say.

'I didn't really mean to harm anyone. I was just looking at a situation, a kind of pigeon view from above I would say. I thought it was best for me to make the decision I made. Obviously some people won't be happy about it. I'm not here to please everyone. I'm here to do what's best for me and my future. I felt that I did. Obviously people aren't going to be too happy about that. Yeah, there are some pretty cruel things people say.”

While he understood the level of interest that would arise in the aftermath of the transaction, Gauthier admits it has been difficult for him to stay off his cell phone or social media. But there was support amid the backlash.

“It's kind of hard when it's all right in your face,” he said. “You open Twitter and you see my name and every account of what's going on and everyone has their own opinion. It's kind of hard not to stay away from it completely.

“Like I said before, it's a business. People are going to say things, especially in the situation we're in right now. It's quite difficult to know the real reason why and to see people spreading all these false statements. Can't really express yet what really happened. It was a bit difficult, but it was also good. A number of people have contacted me.

“In situations like this you can definitely see who your circle of friends is. It was definitely good for the most part and obviously a handful of bad things from Flyers fans.”

In the time since the trade, Gauthier said he's gone back and forth on whether he should fully explain what was behind it, from picking the Flyers No. 5 of the 2022 NHL Draft to requesting a trade from them last April after his freshman season at the Eagles concluded. He chose the discretion of privacy.

“I've kind of seen all the rumors that are spreading right now,” he said. “It's just funny what people are saying right now. I don't think I've seen one thing said exactly about why this all happened. People like to talk, people like to make things up and other people like to listen.”

Another aspect of the trade that Gauthier wanted to dispel is the idea that he didn't want to play for Flyers coach John Tortorella. He said his interaction with him was positive.

“All those rumors that I was afraid of tort, that's not the case at all,” he said. “I've had a lot of (tough) coaches throughout my life and I think every coach I play for would love to have me on their team. I want to do what it takes to win. If they are a loud, yelling, screaming coach, I will roll with the punches. I will never disrespect or talk back to a coach. I'm going to give everything every shift. That certainly wasn't the reason I didn't want to play in Philly.

“I met Torts two years ago during development camp. I was super excited and excited to meet him. Because I am a big name in hockey and the coaching staff industry, I was obviously not against playing for him at all.”

And while he steered clear of details about the Flyers and his dealings with them, Gauthier specifically addressed the fact that St. Louis Blues forward Kevin Hayes was described as influencing his desire to play elsewhere. Hayes, who played with the Flyers from 2020 to 2023, is a former BC player who Gauthier got to know well.

“I've seen all the rumors that Kevin Hayes has his fingerprints on this,” Gauthier said. “I want to make it clear that he has nothing to do with this. He has absolutely nothing (to do with it). Some people who say things like this about his family and things like that are quite cowardly. He doesn't have a single fingerprint on this.

'I haven't spoken to him in a long time. I just wanted to clarify. It's not just his word against others. I wanted to make sure (it is known) that he was absolutely not involved in this. It's a bit disrespectful to him and his name that he got involved in this.”

The Ducks made the trade with the strong belief and knowledge that Gauthier would sign with them after completing his sophomore season with the Eagles, the top-ranked team in college hockey. Gauthier said that is his plan and that his NHL debut could still come if the Eagles were to play for the NCAA title, as Anaheim plays its season finale five days after the championship game. He said he has been in contact with current Ducks forwards Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson.

But the prospect of him playing his first game in Philadelphia will have to wait, as the Ducks already made their only visit in October. When asked what he expects the first game at the Wells Fargo Center to be like, Gauthier said “chaotic.”

“I have that (future) date circled in a big way on my calendar,” he continued. “I can't wait to get out there and play my game in front of those fans and do my thing. I'm really looking forward to that match.”

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(Photo: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)