IRVINE, Calif. -- The final week of the NHL regular season provided Cutter Gauthier a glimpse into his future with the Anaheim Ducks.
The 20-year-old left wing was impressed with what he saw.
"I was here for six days and it felt like I was here all year," Gauthier said on the opening day of development camp earlier this month.
Gauthier's whirlwind exposure to the NHL began shortly after his Boston College career ended with a 2-0 loss to Denver in the NCAA championship game April 13.
He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks the following day and then headed to Anaheim, where he was greeted with open arms.
"Being the new guy on the block, they weren't strangers at all," Gauthier said of his new teammates. "They all reached out and congratulated me on the season and said they were excited to meet me."
Gauthier got in two full practices with the Ducks before making his NHL debut in the final game of the regular season on April 18 against the Vegas Golden Knights, assisting on the game-winning goal in a 4-1 victory.
"He's got good hands, good vision, and a good burst of speed," Ducks coach Greg Cronin said of Gauthier, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 189 pounds.
Six months ago, Gauthier was traded to the Ducks by the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 8 for 22-year-old defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The trade took place after Gauthier, the No. 5 pick by Philadelphia in the 2022 NHL Draft, decided he did not want to play for the Flyers, a decision he said was “a personal matter.”
Gauthier led the NCAA with 38 goals in 41 games last season and was second in points with 65 (27 assists). He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top NCAA men’s hockey player.
Having already played an NHL game, Gauthier could have opted out of development camp, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet other young players in the system.
Matt McIlvane, coach of San Diego, Anaheim’s affiliate in the American Hockey League, said Gauthier showed his maturity on the first day of development camp.
"Cutter said right away, 'I want to be a leader for the guys who are experiencing camp for the first time,’” McIlvane said. "For someone new to the organization to jump in and take on that responsibility right away, I applauded him for it."
As for his on-ice development, Gauthier said he's working on all aspects but mainly gearing up for the physical and mental demands of a long season.
"I've never played 82 games in my life in a season, maybe in youth hockey, but nowhere near this level as the NHL," he said. "So, just being ready mentally and, obviously, getting ready physically this summer is the biggest thing that I'm looking forward to."
