Sean Couturier can relate to any jitters Flyers rookies Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko might be experiencing heading into the Flyers’ season-opener on Friday night in Vancouver.
Like the 19-year-old Michkov and the 18-year-old Luchanko, Couturier was a teenager himself when he made his NHL debut back in 2011.
The draft rights to Couturier had been secured with the Jeff Carter-to-Columbus trade and the Flyers thought highly enough of the 18-year-old center to take him eighth overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.
Even though the Flyers were just a little over a year removed from reaching the Stanley Cup Final, Couturier managed to make Philadelphia’s veteran-laden opening night roster.
“My first NHL game was in Boston,” Couturier recalled. “The year before they had won the (Stanley) Cup. So it was a pretty big game, a home opener for them. A lot of atmosphere in the building.”
Any advice for Michkov and Luchanko, who basically will be skipping the minor league process?
“Just take in the moment,” Couturier said. “Try not to think too much about it. I know it’s hard. You dream about that moment your whole life. Get the first shift out of the way, get your legs going. Go from there.”
There were some butterflies floating around Couturier’s insides at the start in Beantown but eventually he managed to settle down any nerve issues.
“I remember late in that game I think we were up 2-1 and ‘Lavy’ (then-coach Peter Laviolette) threw me out for a faceoff with a minute-and-a-half left,” Couturier said. “That’s when I knew I couldn’t let myself be impressed by someone like (Patrice) Bergeron.
“When you’re out there you’ve just got to get the job done. I was on the wing for that faceoff but it was still to protect the lead. Just trying to make sure we got out of our end without getting scored on.”
There might not be quite the same atmosphere in Rogers Arena on Friday night as there was in TD Garden when Couturier first stepped on the ice but there will be some tense emotion.
Everyone wants to make a good first impression.
“It’s like a dream come true,” Couturier said. “You work your whole life to get to that point. To finally be there, you get caught up a little bit in the moment. Once the game starts, honestly, it’s just another game.
“Once you get your first shift out of the way, you just focus on what you’ve got to do, play hockey. It’s the same game, a little faster, guys are a little stronger. It’s all fun.”
Right wing Bobby Brink, who might start at right wing on Luchanko’s line against the Canucks, made his NHL debut on April 12, 2022 against the Capitals in Washington. Brink had an assist on a goal by James van Riemsdyk but the rest of the night was rather one to forget. The Flyers lost, 9-2.
Brink, who won an NCAA scoring title while playing for Denver University, believes a kid like Luchanko should trust his natural ability in the early going.
“You can tell he’s got a lot of power in his legs,” Brink said. “He’s a smart player. He kind of knows where to find the open ice, how to find the puck. The puck finds him.
“I believe he has the speed and the IQ to play in the NHL.”
Look for Michkov and Luchanko to get some power-play time as well. The Flyers have been mired at the bottom of the NHL in this crucial aspect of the game and a couple new faces with the man advantage certainly can’t hurt the cause.