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Kevin Hayes responds to rumors speculating his involvement in Cutter Gauthier's refusal to play for Philadelphia Flyers
Former Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes has responded to the rumors of his involvement in Cutter Gauthier's decision not to play for the team.
On Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers surprised the hockey community by trading Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 draft.
The Flyers drafted Gauthier as the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft, and fans expected him to be the franchise's future. However, that never happened, leaving Flyers fans to speculate on what could have led the 19-year-old to leave Philadelphia.
There's a rumor that is spreading like wildfire within the NHL community after Fylers writer Anthony SanFilippo (Crossingboard.com) reported that Hayes was 'very influential' with Gauthier, and per his sources, had a direct impact on the 19-year-old forward's decision to not play for the Flyers.
Moreover, the report states that Hayes 'befriended' Gauthier as a result of the Boston College connection, and Gauthier referred to him as a role model and considered himself fortunate to have him whenever he needed advice.
The report from SanFilippo also said that Kevin Hayes was not a huge fan of Flyers coach John Tortorella and could have negatively impacted Cutter Gauthier's mind about playing under him.
Hayes addressed those rumors, making it clear that he had no part to play in the trade. He also slammed Anthony SanFillippo, tweeting:
Former NHLer Ryan Whitney also delved into the rumors.
He tweeted:
"I just talked to hayzie asking his opinion on this guy saying he was behind Cutter Gauthier requesting a trade. He started laughing and said “whoever that is is a complete clown and anyone who thinks I had anything to do with this doesn’t have a brain.”
Gauthier helped Team USA clinch their sixth gold medal after beating Sweden 6-2 at the 2024 World Juniors. The 19-year-old accumulated 12 points and was named the best forward in the competition.
Gauthier is in his sophomore year at Boston College, and has notched up 23 points in 17 games.
How long did Kevin Hayes play for the Philadelphia Flyers?
Hayes was drafted 24th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 draft, but he never played for them. He joined the New York Rangers during the 2014-15 season and went on to play for five years for the club.
Following his stint with the Blue Shirts, Kevin Hayes was traded to the Winnipeg Jets, where he played for one season. In 2019, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he played for five seasons.
As per reports, Hayes and Tortorella could not get on well with each other, due to which the 31-year-old joined the St. Louis Blues in June last year.
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