Sean Couturier, in a new role, won the city back: ‘I think it’s going to make him hungrier’

As the Flyers came off the ice at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday night, they were rightfully serenaded off by the 19,394 fans in attendance. This team had defied odds, and they fought until the very end against a Carolina Hurricanes team that is yet to lose in the postseason.

Sean Couturier was the final Flyer to enter the tunnel off the ice. As the captain, he was the last face his teammates saw before heading into the locker room. He stuck around. Once the 33-year-old turned toward the exit, “Coots” chants rained down on the longest tenured Flyer.

“It’s nice to have the support of our fans,” Couturier said following the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina in Game 4 of Round 2, ending the sweep. “It’s been fun to play here this year. The last couple years, actually — through the down, too, they were behind us. It always feels good to have the support, and I think it helped us along the way, for sure.”

It is almost hard to believe the support Couturier is receiving again after the heat he has caught over the last few seasons. Since the shortened 2020-21 season, Couturier has not amassed more than 15 goals and/or 45 points in a season. He had a career low in goals and his second-lowest point total in a full season in his career this year, and was a -5. After undergoing two major back surgeries in 2022 and missing 20 months, the former Selke Trophy winner has just not been the same two-way weapon he was. He has caught backlash from fans over that time, particularly since being named the 20th captain in Flyers history in 2024.

There were stretches over the last pair of seasons where Couturier barely resembled the 30-goal scorer he once was. There were questions about whether he should continue to wear the C, whether his body could still handle top-six minutes, and whether the Flyers needed to move on from an era he helped define.

But, for the playoffs this year, Couturier took on a new role. In his prime, Couturier was an elite two-way center — a formidable goal-scorer with exceptional defense. He shifted into a physical fourth-line checking center and provided key leadership this postseason. He was no longer carrying the offense, but he was taking defensive-zone draws, killing penalties, finishing checks, and setting the tone physically.

That is why you saw Couturier take nearly every opening draw this postseason. He and his fourth line, primarily Garnet Hathaway and Luke Glendening, had a great impact. They earned far more trust and ice time than a typical fourth line in the playoffs.

The fourth line became symbolic of the Flyers’ identity this postseason: relentless, physical, and difficult to play against. Couturier was at the center of it. It may not have been the role he envisioned, but he embraced it, and he thrived.

“We all took our heat,” head coach Rick Tocchet said Saturday night. “[Couturier] got punched in the mouth early, and he played excellent for us down the stretch.”

Tocchet was the one who sat with Couturier and gave him this redefined role. It has helped Couturier win the city back over. It enabled the Flyers to put themselves back on the map.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow right now,” Couturier said. “We really believed that we had a chance. It’s tough right now, but at the same time, I’m proud of the way this team battled to the end. There was no quit. For a young team like us, it’s a great experience.”

That “never say die” mentality is one that derives from Couturier. On Saturday night, the chants were not for the Selke Trophy winner Couturier once was. They were for the player who stayed through the surgeries, the losing, the criticism, and the rebuild, and never stopped showing up. Finally, Couturier is getting the recognition he deserves, and it will not slow him down.

“I think it’s going to make him hungrier,” Tocchet said. “I can feel it that [Couturier’s] already talking about how [he’s] going to come back even stronger, and that’s what you want to hear from your captain.”

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