The Philadelphia Flyers named forward Sean Couturier captain on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old veteran is the organization's 19th player to wear the C on his vest. The Pennsylvania club has been without a captain since Claude Giroux was replaced in March 2022.
“Sean Couturier is the ideal choice to be the next leader of the Philadelphia Flyers,” Flyers general manager Daniel Brière said in a statement. Sean was drafted here and made Philadelphia his home. I personally witnessed his development from a responsible forward to one of the best centers and a playoff player. The adversity he had to overcome only strengthened his proven leadership skills.”
Couturier was selected by the Flyers in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2011 draft. He never wore a uniform other than that of Philadelphia in the National League.
The Arizona native is back in action this season after missing the entire 2022-2023 season and much of the previous one due to a serious back injury.
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“It’s a great honor,” Couturier said. It is a truly prestigious organization, which makes it even more special. This city is my home and I love it here. For me it will be business as usual. Nothing will really change for me, my game and my approach. I love my teammates, the way we have grown as a group and I want to make sure we continue to stay on the right path.”
In 50 games so far in the 2023-24 season, Couturier has found the target 11 times and provided 22 assists for 33 points. He amassed 493 points, including 191 goals, in 771 games on the Bettman circuit.