Cutter Gauthier discloses his father's advice against playing junior hockey in Canada

Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier signed an entry-level contract with the club earlier this year in April. The youngster shared an interesting story about how he came to play junior hockey in the U.S. despite being born in Sweden.

Gauthier was originally drafted fifth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2022 NHL Draft. He was traded to the Ducks in January 2024 and is now slated to start his NHL career in Anaheim.

In an interview with NHL Network, Cutter Gauthier explained how he ended up playing for the U.S. despite being born to Canadian parents. When asked about his citizenship, Gauthier shared that his dad is from Sudbury, Ontario, and his mom is from Redding, Pennsylvania, which is where his U.S. citizenship comes from.

“When I was 15 or 16, we got the call to play for the Youth Olympic Games for the USA and Canada, too. So I had the option to pick whether I wanted to go the major-junior route and play for Canada or try to make the national program and play for the U.S.,” Gauthier said.

He had the option to play for either the U.S. or Canadian youth teams, but after discussing it with his dad, they decided it was better for his future to go the U.S. route.

“After talking with my dad, who played in the Ontario Hockey League, he thought it was best for my future to go the U.S. route, and you know I thankfully did. All this opportunity came from it, and I can't be more thankful and super grateful for all the opportunities that came with it,” he added.

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Cutter Gauthier’s decision saw him start a fantastic youth career with Team USA

Cutter Gauthier’s father’s advice paid off as the forward has had a stellar international career representing the United States at the youth level. In 2020, he earned a silver medal at the Winter Youth Olympics. He won another silver medal in 2022 at the IIHF World U18 Championships.

Gauthier was named to the U.S. junior team for the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where his performances earned him a spot on the roster again in 2024.

He led his team in scoring with two goals and ten assists over seven games in the tournament and helped the US win the gold medal. He tied with Jiří Kulich from the Czech Republic as the top scorer of the tournament and was honored as the best forward.