CUTTER GAUTHIER: It's bright orange so it's awesome. You definitely stand out, and I love that. I'm extremely excited to be part of this organization and I can't wait to see what the future holds.
Q. I know that the U.S. national team (indiscernible)?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, that's something I developed over the past two years. Extremely versatile where I can play left or right wing or center if that be the case. I displayed my message to the Philadelphia Flyers that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win, whether that's on the wing or if that's in center, I'm willing to do whatever. I'm excited to be a center or left wing in the near future.
Q. Can you also talk about (indiscernible)?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, it's something I developed over these past two years with the program. They developed me into such a great player. That's one of the things I've added to my game. I wasn't really physical growing up, and big body as I am, it's nice to create the time and space for my teammates to make future plays, and it's a big help in my game today.
Q. (Indiscernible)?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, it's super cool. I've heard such great things about the Philadelphia Flyers, and talking with them, I feel like I had a really good connection with them, so I'm just excited to see in the near future and get out to development camp next week and have a great week.
Q. Your mother is somebody who spent summers in Reading. What does it mean to be able to (indiscernible)?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, it's been awesome. She said nothing but the best about the Philadelphia fan base and all the fans out there, so it's pretty cool. My aunt and my mom's side of the family lives out there, so it's pretty cool, so they don't have to move anywhere to come watch me play hockey. It's awesome. I'm super excited for it, and it's great.
Q. What's the strongest part of your game?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: I think my compete. That's something I developed, as well, over the past two years. The dog-with-a-bone type of mentality. You're not going to go in the corner and beat me out of the net with that puck, so I'm coming out of the corner with that puck, and yeah, my compete for sure.
Q. (Indiscernible)?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, I think one year in NCAA and then I'll be ready to play in the National Hockey League and help the Philadelphia Flyers win a Stanley Cup in the near future.
Q. What were the things they said they were most excited about and in your previous conversations (indiscernible)?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, they're just super excited to have the opportunity to be with them. They didn't really display too much of that message because it was kind of a jack-of-all-trades, so we didn't really know what was going on, but I'm super happy to be here and super happy to be picked by the Philadelphia Flyers and we'll see what happens in the future.
Q. During this process you were kind of viewed as one of the (indiscernible) is that something you've paid a lot of attention to, and if it was, how exciting was that to see your stock going up?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yes and no. I see a couple things whether it pops up on my Instagram or not, but I don't really go too in depth with all that stuff. I like to work hard and it shows on the ice. All the stuff I do behind the scenes, that doesn't really get shown, and it's nice to see all that hard work paying off one day and especially rising up those boards recently.
Q. You seem pretty excited now.
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, I've done everything I can to be where I am today. I put on all the hard work over these past 18 years to get to where I am, so I had a great night's sleep last night. There was nothing left I could have done, and I was super happy with everything I did.
Q. Is that your given name, Cutter?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: It is, yeah.
Q. What's the origin? What is that all about?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: So I think my grandma, the one who's from Philly over in Sweden, she was cooking dinner that night, and she found it in a Swedish cookbook. It just came up "Cutter" so it stuck and I love my name, so it's great.
Q. What did your dad mean to you over the course of growing up having played pro hockey and having sort of absorbed all that? What did you take from him and what did he impart?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: I think just the mentality. It doesn't really matter where you're at now, it's what you're going to do to get to the next level in the future. He's played at the highest level in the National Hockey League, and I've seen what it takes to get there, and he's displayed that message how the hard work and all the little things pay off, so I'm just trying to do everything I can every single day to get to the next level, and he's been a great piece of that.
Q. When you played midget hockey (indiscernible) --
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Really, wow, that's crazy.
Q. I'm wondering, do you get back much?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Since the pandemic I haven't been able to see my grandparents or any of my dad's side of the family in two to three years. I usually go up every summer and spend time with them, and I have a couple family friends here from Sebri (phonetic), so it's good to see all those people, especially after tonight. I try to get there as much as I can, but it's been tough with COVID.
Q. Your dad was part of (indiscernible). What is it like to know that you are now a part of that, as well?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, it's awesome. My dad played many years and he's got many connections, so it's pretty cool to see that the Philadelphia Flyers are one of them, so I'm super excited to be a part of this organization and to have a couple strings attached with this team is pretty cool, too.
Q. (Indiscernible).
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, we're good buddies. We've been teammates over the past two years, and him and I have been on the same line the second half of the season, so him and I, we've built a pretty good bond over the past half of the season there together and it's showed on the ice. It's pretty cool to see him going to the team he wanted, and I was happy to see that for him.
Q. Cutter, you talked a little bit about positional versatility, but why do you think your game can translate to center if that's --
CUTTER GAUTHIER: I think just developing all the skills of a centerman or a wing to get to the next level, I think I'm the complete package, and I have all the skills to be a center or a left wing at the NHL level, and I think it's up to the team to make that decision in the near future.
Q. You sound like a very confident young man. Where does that come from?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, I think just through all the hard work I put in. There's nothing I would have left on the table. I worked my butt off to get to where I am today. I'm doing all the little things to get here, and I'm super excited for this moment, and I'm super confident, as well.
Q. How big is forechecking, that aspect of your game?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, it's huge. I think I'm the complete package, as I said earlier, and I think that the defensive side of the game is a big part of my game, as well, just taking control of the defensive zone, so whether you're playing the wing and being married to your defenseman or helping out the defensemen down low, I think it plays a big role in winning hockey, and I don't think you're going to get to the next level if you're lazy on defense.
Q. (Indiscernible).
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, they didn't really tell me whether it was left wing, center or right wing, so I don't really know yet and we'll see in the near future.
Q. (Indiscernible).
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, I think just increasing the type of play to get to the next level. It's the National Hockey League and it's the fastest league in the world, so I can get used to the pace of play as soon as possible and develop those skills at Boston College, I'm really looking forward to it.
Q. Is there one guy you're looking forward to meeting?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, Kevin Hayes actually. He went to Boston College, and it's pretty cool to see how well his path kind of aligned with mine, so it's pretty cool to see that, and yeah, I'm excited for it.
Q. How exciting is it to be following so many players by going to Boston College?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, it's awesome. They went to Boston College, and that's where I'm headed to, so it's pretty cool to see how Boston College has developed players to get to the National Hockey League and how well they do with their development and treat their players, as well. It's a testament to their character and I'm excited to be a part of that family.
Q. Are there any current NHL players you try to model your game after?
CUTTER GAUTHIER: Yeah, I try to model my game after Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Both big power forwards with lots of skill that control the pace of play at any time, and Mark Scheifele, I was actually fortunate to meet him where I work out, so he's been a great leader. He's been nothing but the best to me, and it was pretty cool to see him in the gym and how hard he works.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports