Cutter Gauthier receives death threats after refusal to play for the Philadelphia Flyers

It has definitely been a tough few days for Cutter Gauthier. After being traded to the Anaheim Ducks, it was revealed that he didn't want to start his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The decision and reports of his dealing with Philadelphia, though, didn't sit well with the Flyers fan base, and the 19-year-old forward became the target of some outrageous reactions on social media.

As per The Athletic, the 19-year-old said that his head has been "kind of spinning" since the trade but also expressed his excitement to join the Anaheim Ducks once his college season with Boston ends.

Gauthier revealed that there have been both good and bad aspects to the situation but reckoned that it has been unfortunate for him to receive death threats and face thousands of hurtful messages for the decision:

“There’s been a lot of good and bad,” he said. “A 19-year-old kid getting a lot of death threats and a bunch of thousands and thousands of people reaching out and just saying some pretty poor things that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy, it’s pretty tough to see, obviously.

"But it’s a business. With all the rumors spreading around that aren’t true, it’s kind of tough to go out and say one word or anything to kind of quiet those people."

Gauthier added by acknowledging the situation as a part of life in which people can express their opinions and say things that cannot be controlled:

"But, you know, people are going to have opinions. People are going to say things. I can’t tell them to have an opinion or not. It’s been definitely a little bit of a stressful situation (the) last 48 hours.”

Cutter Gauthier was drafted fifth overall by the Flyers in the 2022 NHL draft. As for the trade, Philadelphia received defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 draft from Anaheim.

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Cutter Gauthier opens up on rumors linking Kevin Hayes to his decision

Cautter Gauthier's trade to the Anaheim Ducks sent shockwaves through the NHL community, leaving fans in speculation on what could have made him leave the Flyers.

Amid those speculations, there was a rumor portraying former Flyers and current St. Louis Blues forward Kevin Hayes as the protagonist in Gauthier's decision.

After being quiet since the trade, Cutter Gauthier addressed the speculation surrounding the involvement of Hayes in his trade. The 19-year-old clarified that Hayes had no involvement in his decision to leave the Philadelphia Flyers:

"It's kind of tough to talk about. I'd like to announce that it's a personal matter between myself and my family and my agent, Kurt (Overhardt). ... I did see one thing going around the internet that I would like to specifically address about the rumors about Kevin Hayes, and I would like to especially say that he had zero, zero conflict with anything that had to do with the trade," Gauthier explained.

Cutter Gauthier is coming off a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 World Juniors. He ended the competition as the leading scorer with 12 points (two goals and 10 assists) and was named the best forward in the tournament.

Cutter Gauthier is now playing for Boston College, where he has racked up 23 points in 17 games this season.