The Ducks’ campaign will end where it began, in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights, but Thursday’s season finale will be remembered more as a commencement than a conclusion.
Marquee trade acquisition, World Junior Championships gold medalist, Hobey Baker Award finalist and 2022 lottery pick Cutter Gauthier will arrive in the NHL, making his debut for the Ducks after a season of triumph and tumult for the 20-year-old forward.
Gauthier was selected fifth overall in 2022 by the Philadelphia Flyers, but his rising stock after leading Team USA to gold only cemented that he’d be moving on as Philly acted quickly, trading him Jan. 8 just days after the tournament since he’d previously informed them that he did not want to sign his entry-level contract.
Yet after being traded to the Ducks in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round draft pick, Gauthier had no reservations and inked a three-year deal soon after the NCAA campaign wrapped up with his Boston College team losing to the University of Denver in the national championship game.
“I can’t be more thrilled to be a Duck,” Gauthier said Tuesday, when he arrived in Orange County.
“I’m pretty pumped. It’s been a dream for my whole life,” he added. “Just getting here, I’ve gotten chills, getting to the airport, getting settled in here and meeting all the guys has been a really cool experience so far. I can’t wait to go on Thursday.”
Gauthier was one of three finalists for the national player of the year, ultimately losing out to 2024’s top draft aspirant, freshman Macklin Celebrini, whose Boston University team Gauthier and mates dominated in this season’s Hockey East final. If the Ducks, who own the third-worst record in the NHL and third-best odds in the draft lottery, were to finally win the No. 1 pick, the two could be teammates in the near future.
Gauthier said his sophomore season rounded out his game as he sought to make the leap to the top level.
“I’m more of a complete player,” Gauthier said. “By the end of the year, I was playing against other team’s top lines, shutting them down and also producing [offensively] as well.”
As Thursday’s match opens a chapter for Gauthier, it will close another for Jakob Silfverberg, who will play the final game of his NHL career after 12 seasons, 11 of them in Anaheim. As his family was honored to share the experience of his final home game with him last week, Gauthier’s will be on hand for his maiden voyage. Also supporting him will be his linemates, two-time Stanley Cup winner Alex Killorn and rookie Leo Carlsson, who Gauthier said had been particularly supportive.
“That’s what you want, another younger guy who’s as hungry as you to play in the NHL and make a name for himself, and he’s been super welcoming,” Gauthier told Ducks Stream.
Vegas will have seeding on the line, seeking to avoid a wild-card position for its title defense. If the Golden Knights win, they’ll finish third in the Pacific Division and face Edmonton. If they lose, they’ll be relegated to the final wild-card berth and a conference finals rematch (from both 2020 and 2023) against the Dallas Stars.
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Though the Ducks lost their opener 4-1 in Vegas, they beat the Golden Knights twice at Honda Center this season. They poured in four unanswered goals both times, once to rally from a 2-0 deficit and again during the first period of the third meeting.
“The first game’s in Vegas and it’s a pretty electric spot to play,” Gauthier told Ducks Stream. “My first NHL game against the defending champs of the National Hockey League is something pretty special, and I’m definitely not going to take it for granted.”
Ducks at Golden Knights
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV: Bally Sports SoCal