The Philadelphia Flyers are so back. After demolishing the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night in the most entertaining game of the season so far, the feeling surrounding this team feels impenetrable. The dark cloud looming over this current rebuild that the front office is pursuing, has once again been waved away to briefly see some immaculate sunshine.

Cutter Gauthier was traded away to the Ducks because he didn’t want to play for the Flyers after they drafted him fifth overall. It’s a story that has been beaten to death and repeated ad nauseum since the move happened two years ago. But, it will always remain at the front of every single Flyers fan’s mind because of what could have been as they see the forward blossom into a very good goalscorer out west.

So, as the Flyers lay a 5-2 beatdown against the Ducks on Tuesday night, headlined by former Anaheim star Trevor Zegras getting some vital revenge in the form of two goals, the feeling of being a fan of the Orange and Black has never been better since the puck dropped this season. And that same feeling is permeating through the Flyers locker room.

Cam York touches on Cutter Gauthier trade and fans booing

During an interview on 97.5 The Fanatic the day following that dominant win over the new hated rivals, defenseman Cam York spoke about Gauthier’s departure and what it felt like to have that result and be one of the key players in it.

“Yeah, you know, I think Jonesy said it best. ‘If you don’t want to be a Flyer, you’re not going to be one,’” York said Wednesday. “I don’t really know what his deal is; I don’t really know him as a person, but we don’t really care. We have Jamie and we’re super happy with him, he’s an unreal guy and a great player.

“So, you know, it’s a weird situation, I don’t really know how it unfolded and stuff. But as players, we really want to win that game against them and shut them down. So, yeah kind of a weird one but it’s always a super fun game to play especially when the fans are giving him a ton of crap.”

That’s just perfect. The fact that what Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones said following the Gauthier trade two years ago is still in the heads of at least some players, feels special. A group that has come together to be Flyers and understand that it’s just not for everyone, to find some companionship as this team starts to hopefully turn a corner. It’s just nice to watch a team where you know they are actually enjoying what they’re doing.

And then for York to just go the extra mile and not only really brush off anything Gauthier thinks about the Flyers, but to mention that the team absolutely loves how much the fans boo one specific and entitled player — it’s just so heartwarming.

Plus, York really did come out to play on Tuesday night.

Up against what is technically his hometown team, he led the entire Flyers in time-on-ice with 25:34 and finished with a goal and a primary assist. Aside from the actual point production, York also co-led the team in five shots on goal with Travis Konecny, had six total shot attempts. He was just everywhere on the ice.

Cam York scored from the between the top of the circles to extend the Flyers lead to 3-1. Noah Cates may have redirected the puck.
Goal: York (3) pic.twitter.com/nW65sxi3ZS

— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) January 7, 2026

York and the rest of the Flyers will have another opportunity to give it to Gauthier and the rest of the Ducks — because we haven’t even mentioned the several dirty hits that Anaheim players flung at our boys — on March 18 when they go and make the Californian road trip this season.

It is going to be a must-watch game after everything that went down this week.