Photo Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
About a month ago Cutter Gauthier decided to return to Boston College for his Sophomore season in 2023-24. Now he represents an undefeated USA team (8-0) at the World Championships after defeating Czechia 3-0 yesterday.
Gauthier made Team USA for the World Championships, but he was knocked out of a preliminary game with a blatant elbow to the head, to which he did not return. Fortunately, he was okay, as he now plays on the third line for Team USA.
A young 19-year-old in Gauthier has more than caught the eye of many at this tournament. He scored again as he now has seven for the tournament. Gauthier is only three goals shy of the most goals scored in a single Worlds tournament for a US born player. That record is currently held by Buzz Johnson with 10. Patrick Kane also netted eight goals in 2018 for the Americans.
“He’s got an elite shot.” American teammate Rocco Grimaldi said about Gauthier after the game.
The young man in Gauthier was the guy the Flyers wanted from day one, they love his shot, size, and his skating abilities for being a more sizeable prospect in the pipeline. They love what he can eventually become, especially with his candidness to shoot the puck. The Flyers are now targeting shoot-first players, and it’s become evident with the past two drafts. For instance, Tyson Foerster’s best ability is his shot, while Samu Tuomaala, although struggling in the Liiga League, is a first shot mentality player. The Flyers are really trying to find a sniper(s) to wreak havoc on their opponents in the future.
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What I love about Cutter Gauthier is he is not afraid to rip it from anywhere. It’s been a long time since the Flyers had a player like this. Following Gauthier’s goal again yesterday, he now has seven goals and two assists for the tournament. He scored on a beautifully placed snapshot/wrist shot with traffic in front.
It appears that Gauthier has placed himself on the map at the Worlds. Let’s hope his success continues as the tournament wears on.
