John Tortorella publicly ripped an NHL journalist after the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout Wednesday.
The Flyers coach tore into Anthony SanFilippo for reporting that former Flyers forward Kevin Hayes encouraged prospect Cutter Gauthier to demand a trade out of Philadelphia.
Gauthier did desire a trade, one that was granted early in the week when the Flyers shipped their 2022 first-round draft pick to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
But Gauthier and Hayes vehemently denied that Hayes, who was traded by the Flyers to the St. Louis Blues this past offseason, had anything to do with influencing Gauthier’s desire to be dealt.
John Tortorella fires back at reporter who spread rumor about Kevin Hayes
And Tortorella called out SanFilippo, who was at the postgame press conference.
“Are you kidding me? You think Kevin Hayes is going to do something like that? It’s bull****,” Tortorella said.
“It just pisses me off that you guys throw that sh** around and affect someone’s life. Kevin Hayes … that’s a good man and what you said is going to stay with him. That’s what you guys don’t understand. You guys same say something, and you’re going to sit there and say you have the right sources, I call bull****.”
SanFilippo posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, following Tortorella’s outburst.
“Well, Torts just lit me up in his press conference about Kevin Hayes. Completely unprompted. That ought to be a joy for everyone for the next couple days.”
Kevin Hayes says rumor ‘100 percent false’ that he influenced Cutter Gauthier trade request from Flyers
The rumor began when SanFilippo stated on the “Snow the Goalie” podcast that a Flyers’ source told him Hayes’ “fingerprints were all over this” trade request by Gauthier.
“It’s 100 percent false,” Hayes told The Athletic. “I’ve never once in my life said a single negative thing about ‘Torts’ or the Flyers’ organization. I loved my time there. I loved every second of it. I still have very close friends there. Obviously, I wish my outcome in Philly was different. I wish we won the Cup. I wish I had 80 goals every year. I didn’t. It’s over with. There’s nothing I can do about that.”
Hayes offered that it was a “clickbait” moment for SanFilippo and podcast co-host Chris Therien, a former Flyers defenseman.
The forward, who played four seasons with the Flyers, said he’s been receiving death threats since this rumor came out.
“At first, it didn’t really seem like a big deal,” Hayes explained. “But just the s*** that’s come from the aftermath, people with death threats, people want my family dead, people happy my brother’s dead (former NHL forward Jimmy Hayes died in 2021), it’s just crazy stuff coming out. … Not a single aspect of what I’ve done had any implications on this kid’s decision.”
Gauthier is in his second season at Boston College and just helped the United States capture the gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship. Hayes, attended BC from 2010-14 before turning pro with the New York Rangers, said he had one interaction with Gauthier when the two played golf after the prospect joined the Flyers organization.
One of Gauthier’s advisers told the Philadelphia Inquirer this is a “private matter and needs to stay private.”