IIHF Worlds: Laughton, Gauthier and Attard Standing Out

Three Flyers-affiliated players are playing at the ongoing 2023 IIHF World Championships in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia. Scott Laughton is an alternate captain for Team Canada, while 2022 first-round pick Cutter Gauthier and Phantoms/Flyers defenseman Ronnie Attard are playing for Team USA.

A former Flyer, forward Patrick Brown, was added to Team USA's roster on Monday. Brown, an impending unrestricted free agent, spent the entire 2021-22 season and most of the 2022-23 campaign with the Flyers before being dealt to the Ottawa Senators on trade deadline day (March 3, 2023).

Here's a look at how the three currently Flyers-affiliated participants have fared so far in the tournament, Both Team USA in Group A and Team Canada in Group B sport 3-0-0 records, although their most recent wins didn't come easiliy. Canada will play Kazakhstan on Wednesday, while the USA is up against Austria. The Canadians and Americans are idle on Tuesday.

SCOTT LAUGHTON

Team Canada has deployed Laughton in much the same way as the Flyers, making use of his two-way versatility. Through the team's first three games -- a 6-0 blowout of Latvia, a 5-2 win over Slovenia, and a 2-1 win via shootout against Slovakia -- Laughton has logged an average 17:54 of ice time to lead all forwards on the squad. In the game against Slovakia, pulled down 21:39 TOI.

Laughton scored a goal in the opening win against Latvia. On the play, Calgary Flames defenseman Mackenzie Weegar put a shot at the net from the right point and Laughton redirected the puck from high in the slot to give the Canadian side a 2-0 lead in the first period. The Flyers forward skated with Buffalo Sabres' forwards Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn as his primary linemates.

In the Slovenia game, Laughton skated 17:57 of ice time, won 17 of 23 faceoffs, and was plus-two despite not getting on the scoresheet. Overall for the tournament to date, Laughton has recorded eight shots on goal. His tally against Latvia is his lone point thus far.

CUTTER GAUTHIER

Gauthier survived a scare before the tournament began. In the second period of a pre-tournament exhibition match against Germany last Wednesday, Gauthier was on the receiving end of a drive-by elbow to the head from San Jose Sharks forward Nico Sturm. The top Flyers prospect fell to the ice, clutching his head. Gauthier left the game and did not return.

Thankfully, Gauthier passed concussion protocol and has seemed no worse for the wear in the days that have followed. He was in the lineup for the tournament opener against Finland and has played in each of the two subsequent games. Team USA opened with a 4-1 win against the host Finns. The Americans followed it up with a 7-1 rout of overmatched Hungary and then prevailed, 3-2, in a hard-fought rematch with Germany.

Gauthier, whom the Flyers aim to develop as a center and who has primarily centered in his collegiate career to date at Boston College, played left wing (his original position) for Team USA at the 2022-23 World Junior Championships. He's remained on the wing for the Americans so far at the 2023 Worlds.

Gauthier started each of the two first games of the tournament on Team USA's fourth line. The 19-year-old forward was bumped up into the top nine for the Germany game after tallying goals in both the FInland and Hungary matches.

Team USA trailed Finland, 1-0, in the second period before Gauthier's goal at 13:48, knotted the score. On the play, Team USA reloaded after the FInns cleared the puck from the defensive zone. From the top of the left circle, Gauthier took advantage of a partial screen and a quick release to score to the far (glove) side. In the third period, Team USA pulled away with three unanswered goals, including two by Buffalo Sabres right winger Alex Tuch (the latter was an empty net tally).

In the game against Hungary, Gauthier opened a 4-1 lead for the Team at 13:39 of the second period. On the play, the Flyers' prospect went in on a one-on-one over the middle against Hungarian goalie Dominik Horvath. Rather than making a move, Gauthier surprised the goalie with a quick wrist shot through the five hole from the mid slot.

Through three games to date, Gauthier has racked up 17 shots on goal including a game-high seven in the last match against Germany. He averaged 12:31 of ice time in the wins over Finland, Hungary and Germany.

RONNIE ATTARD

Attard scored a goal in the exhibition game victory against Germany. In the preliminary round rematch, the offensive-minded blueliner broke a scoreless deadlock at 5:39 of the second period. Receiving a pass from Tampa Bay Lightning center Michael Eyssimont. Attard one-timed a shot that was headed wide of the net but which hit off a defender's skate and deflected into the net.

One game earlier, against Hungary, Attard led all skaters with six shots on goal but did not record a point. Attard opened the tourney with 15:27 of ice time across 23 shifts against Finland. He did record a shot on goal in that game.

Overall, the Phantoms/Flyers blueliner has averaged 13:28 of ice time. He's taken one minor penalty (in the last Germany goal) in addition to his goal.