VOORHEES, N.J. — Anyone can appreciate Sean Couturier's willingness to embrace the unpopular days.
Not just with his long and arduous recovery from two back surgeries. But also these precarious times for the rebuilding Flyers.
You'd think he stomached enough frustration in his own injury recovery. He wants to endure more with his teammates.
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"This guy's a whole different animal," John Tortorella said Saturday morning. "He just wants to [play]."
Despite it being his ultimate goal, Couturier won't get that opportunity in April as the 2022-23 campaign winds down. Head athletic trainer Tommy Alva, interim general manager Danny Briere and Tortorella decided the 30-year-old center will not return to game action this season.
Tortorella said Couturier had "no setback at all" and the Flyers made the call about a week and a half to two weeks ago.
"I'll give you my point of view. There was Danny, all our medical people were there when we talked about this very important decision," Tortorella said. "For me, and I told Coots from Day 1, why can't we use the next few months to get even more ready? And not so much his injury. My biggest concern is the game's being played at a speed right now at this time of year, it's a quick game.
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"The doctors cleared him, everything's good to go; I'm worried about another injury where he's just not up to speed and the speed of the game, where he gets himself into a situation, he hurts his shoulder, knee, because he's just not ready to play at this speed. That has always been my concern. And I've expressed that to Coots from Day 1."
Couturier hasn't played since December 2021. Last season, he had back surgery in February, which knocked him out for the rest of the year. He seemed poised for a full return to start this season. However, he felt concerning pain in his back just a handful of days before training camp. Eventually, it resulted in a second surgery — stated as a back revision — during late October.
Two and a half weeks ago, after taking part in the Flyers' morning skate, Couturier expressed why he wanted to return this season.
After Saturday's morning skate, Couturier was visibly upset.
"It's extremely disappointing," he said. "I've been working hard all year to put myself in a situation that I'd play again. I'm not. So obviously disappointed. I almost feel like I let down the team. It is what it is. It's an organization, team decision.
"I didn't get too much of a say, to be honest. I was just going out there and proving myself, pushing myself into practices and trying to get up to the speed. I felt really good. But I guess it's in my best interest. I might not agree with it now, but maybe in the future, in the long term, it'll be beneficial. Only time will tell."
The 2019-20 Selke Trophy winner is an important player and face to a franchise that came under the microscope for injury problems last season.
"I appreciate it, I understand where they're coming from," Couturier said. "I just feel I'm at the same risk right now as I would be next year. For me, it's just hard seeing guys getting banged up here at the end of the year, playing through some little, nagging injuries, where I'm kind of 100 percent and I've got to watch from up top. It's kind of tough on the morale."
The Flyers have eight games left in their 2022-23 season, which will see them miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
"I just want to be a part of this rebuild from the ground up," Couturier said. "I just don't want to be the guy that's coming when everything's nice and things are going well. I want to go through the ups and downs and grow as a team and be a part of that.
"I think that's where you build character, you grow as a team. Sometimes adversity is good. It's been a while. I've had adversity off the ice, but on the ice, it's another thing. It's probably what I miss the most. I think it's just important to all grow as a team together. I just want to be a part of it.
"I would have just loved to get the opportunity to prove myself. It's been a long ride, a lot of ups and downs. Thought I'm feeling really good and finally over the hump. I just wished I could have gotten the opportunity to just prove myself and help the team."
Tortorella appreciated Couturier being peeved by the decision.
"I want athletes that way," the head coach said. "I think one of the problems going on in our group, we don't have enough athletes like that, that simply want to play. This is a serious situation with the two operations, so I really respect the way he has handled himself.
"I think we handled it the right way. Coots is aggravated and I love it. Because I think that's why he's the player he is. So he's going to have to eat it for a little bit and I think it helps him get even more ready for a pretty strenuous camp coming up here when he starts again with us."
When the Flyers open the 2023-24 regular season in October, Couturier will have gone almost 22 months without playing an NHL game.
"I started my summer training already. Started early," Couturier said with a laugh. "I think it's more the mental side of the game that's going to be tough all summer. You're going to be thinking about camp and making sure you still have it, questioning yourself. I'm going to do whatever I can to put myself in the best position to have success. Whether I'm up to par coming into camp or a little behind, I'm confident that I'll be back to the player I was at one point. I've just got to try to stay focused and positive and just keep working.
"I'm definitely going to be out there to prove something. It's going to be close to two years I haven't played in the NHL."
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