Ashlyn Sullivan sat down with John Tortorella for a four-part interview. In Part 1, the head coach discussed the Flyers’ goaltending struggles and more.
When Sean Couturier signed his eight-year, $62 million contract extension in August 2021, he saw an opportunity to play 19 seasons for the Flyers, an opportunity to etch his mark on the organization and city.
The rarity of that wasn't lost on him.
"You don't really see that much anymore," Couturier said then. "It would obviously be an honor. I've always loved Philly, through the ups and downs."
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Through the ups and downs, he has become the city's longest-tenured athlete. The Flyers' captain took over that distinction Tuesday when Eagles legend Brandon Graham announced his retirement. The two-time Super Bowl champion had played in Philadelphia since September 2010. Couturier's run goes back to October 2011.
As a young, smart center with 200-foot upside, Couturier made his NHL debut for the Flyers a day before Charlie Manuel's 102-win Phillies were eliminated in the NLDS by the Cardinals. Couturier was just 18 years old at the time. Flyers general manager Danny Briere was his teammate then. So was Jaromir Jagr and Scott Hartnell.
Couturier went on to win a Selke Trophy in 2019-20. He's now 32 and in an interesting spot with the Flyers. He took the hard-earned path to being named the team's captain last season, overcoming two back surgeries in 2022 that kept him out of game action for almost 22 months.
And the Flyers are now in the thick of a rebuild. They're on track to miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season, which would match the franchise's longest drought. Couturier hasn't played a playoff game in Philadelphia since 2018. His last playoff appearance was 2020 in the Toronto bubble.
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"It's tough, especially I think my situation, you're getting older and there's less time to win really," Couturier said last week. "It's frustrating, but I trust in what Danny's doing up there and getting the right pieces in place for the future. Hopefully things turn around quick here."
Couturier is in Year 3 of his eight-year contract. The deal has a full no-move clause that turns into a limited no-move clause come the final year. How quickly the Flyers can get back to winning again could go a long way in Couturier's run as the city's longest-tenured athlete.
