The situation in Philadelphia has gotten completely out of hand when it comes to the storyline surrounding the Cutter Gauthier trade. Moved because he wasn’t interested in signing with the Flyers, Gauthier told the team he wasn’t interesting in playing for them. As a result, they moved him to the Anaheim Ducks for Jamie Drysdale. What’s unfolded since is like a bad game of telephone tag with some potentially serious consequences.
Somehow, former Flyers’ forward Kevin Hayes’ name is now linked to all of this. When a reporter suggested Hayes’ fingerprints were all over this, the story blew up. The report by Crossing Broad said they spoke to a source that hinted Hayes might have gotten in Gauthier’s ear, trash-talked the organization and the coach and swayed the prospect. In a printed piece, Anthony San Filippo of Crossing Broad wrote, “Multiple sources have told me that Hayes was very influential with Gauthier and three of them indicated that Hayes either had direct impact on Gauthier’s decision to not want to play for the Flyers or that it was very possible that he did.”
Hayes denies it. In fact, he’s is quite upset he’s even part of this conversation.
Related: Former Flyer Denies Accusations of Corrupting Cutter Gauthier
Now, he’s having to come out and explain his relationship to Gauthier because he’s received death threats from Philly fans who are upset that a former player would seemingly disparage the club after he played four years there.
Hayes Responds to the Rumors of His Involvement in the Gauthier Situation
Speaking with the St. Louis Dispatch, Hayes explained, “It’s completely false. One-hundred percent false. I don’t know where he got that information from.” He added, “I took that kid golfing once. The coach at BC asked me to take him golfing just to chat with him. He played nine holes and he went home. I sent him a text after he won World Juniors saying, ‘Congrats.’”
Hayes went on to say:
“I felt like I was doing Philly a good service by helping out their fifth overall pick. Never once said a negative thing about Torts. Never once said a negative thing about the organization. I reached out to Danny B last night, told him exactly what I’m telling you.”
Hayes is now taking aim at the reporters who dragged him into all of this. “Yeah, I think it’s complete bulls—, honestly. I think those two guys acted like complete pieces of s—, to be honest, making s— up.” He added, “Now, I’m going to bed and waking up with death threats and people want my family dead and people that are happy that my brother’s dead. I think it’s completely insane that this guy can say something like that.”
Hayes reiterated that he doesn’t have the kind of influence on a player. Moreover, the reporter should have fact checked better and now fans, suggest he’s at fault when he would have been happy to answer questions. He contends there would have been no reason to say anything as he enjoyed his four years with the Flyers. He wishes his production would have been higher, but he understood being traded. So too, he had no issues with the coach or the team, calling it a class-act organization.
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