For Sean Couturier, Daniel Brière is a bit like a father, and the current general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers quickly understood that his young protégé would one day wear the “C” on his jersey.
Brière welcomed the teenager into his home when he made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut in 2011. Couturier, who came from the Drummondville Voltigeurs, initially surprised the veteran with his maturity.
“Even when he was 18, you could tell he was the type of person who could make a captain. Just his attitude, how he expressed himself, how he carried himself on the ice,” Brière told NHL.com on Friday.
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The 46-year-old's vision came to fruition when Couturier was named captain of the Flyers on February 14th. The center player came back strong after serious injuries that forced him to remain with the club in recent years and was the perfect candidate.
“We're not really going to take the time to talk about the restaurants we're going to go to or the card games on the plane. But one of the things I appreciate most about him is that he always gives me an honest answer to my questions. “His assessment of himself and the team is always reliable, and I like that about him,” said Brière.
From one mentor to another
The two men have a different relationship today than when they lived together. They played for two seasons before Brière traveled to Montreal for a tour with the Canadian. He retired in 2015.
Previously, Couturier served as a big brother to his sons. He and Claude Giroux played important roles at this time.
“They kept me young, close to the new generation that was coming into the team and allowed me to connect with the young people because I wasn't getting any younger,” Brière said.
“I have to be honest, Sean didn’t need much coaching,” he added. You could see that at 18 he was very mature and minding his business. I didn’t have to worry at all.”
March 10 marks one year since Brière was general manager of the Flyers, having initially taken over the position on an interim basis following the departure of Chuck Fletcher.
Their roles are not the same, but he and Couturier should form a power duo for many years to come.