‘I’m going to cherish the opportunity’: Former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere eager to return to playoffs with Carolina Hurricanes
After Gostisbehere's latest trade, Coyotes equipment staff had an easy transition, moving the defenseman’s equipment down the hall. For Gostisbehere, it was a bit more complicated.
On the night of March 3, hours after the trade deadline passed, former Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere headed to Mullett Arena, home to the Arizona Coyotes. But instead of walking into the home team’s locker room, as he had all season long, he entered the visitor’s locker room as the newest member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
It was an easy transition for the Coyotes’ equipment staff, who only had to carry the defenseman’s equipment down the hall. For Gostisbehere, it was a bit more complicated.
Gostisbehere, 29, viewed his trade to Arizona from the Flyers on July 22, 2021, as a career “reset” with a team going through a reset of its own. He dealt with numerous injuries in seven years with the Flyers, including a recurring knee issue. For a season and a half with the Coyotes, who went 46-81-16 in that span, Gostisbehere worked to put himself in position to be moved to a contender in his contract year.
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In 82 games last season, Gostisbehere collected 14 goals and 37 assists for 51 points, his most productive performance since his stellar 2017-18 campaign with the Flyers (13 goals and 52 assists for 65 points, a career high). He scored at a similar clip leading up to this year’s trade deadline (10 goals and 21 assists in 52 games).
While Gostisbehere enjoyed his time in the desert, he ultimately got his wish — he was traded to the Hurricanes (first in the Metropolitan division) for a 2026 third-round pick on March 1. His first game with his new team came against the previous one.
“Not every day you get traded from one of the worst teams to one of the best teams in the league,” Gostisbehere told The Inquirer. “So I’m going to cherish the opportunity.”
Now, Gostisbehere is in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since his 2020 appearance with the Flyers, which ended in a second-round, seven-game loss to the New York Islanders. Gostisbehere played in 17 playoff games over the course of three seasons (2016, 2018, and 2020). He collected two power-play goals and three even-strength assists.
The addition of Gostisbehere provides the Hurricanes with a boost on the power play. With his ability to be its quarterback, he made a positive early impression in that role, scoring a power-play goal in his first game as a Hurricane in their 6-1 win against the Coyotes. Four of his five points with the Hurricanes through nine games have come on the man advantage.
But for Flyers winger Scott Laughton, his close friend brings value at five-on-five, too.
“Everyone talks about the power play,” Laughton said. “I think he’s such a good puck mover. So good at quicking-up pucks, and that’s the way Carolina plays. That’s a fast team over there and I think he can definitely help and adds a little bit of a different element that they don’t have.”
Gostisbehere flaunted his puck-moving abilities in the Hurricanes’ 5-4 overtime victory over the Flyers on Saturday. He recorded a secondary assist on center Sebastian Aho’s second goal of the night, carrying the puck into the offensive zone with speed and making a pass to winger Stefan Noesen under the stick of center Tanner Laczynski. Gostisbehere drew Laczynski with him toward the net and a couple of Flyers wingers were late on the backcheck, leaving Aho uncovered in the slot for the goal.
As odd as it was to play in Mullett Arena only a couple of days after he was traded from the Coyotes, Gostisbehere said that playing at the Wells Fargo Center as a visitor still conjures up weird feelings. Saturday night marked Gostisbehere’s third game in the arena as an opponent since former Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher traded him and two draft picks (2022 second- and seventh-round selections) for cap relief.
In addition to playing in the building as a Flyer, Gostisbehere also won the 2014 NCAA championship with Union College over Minnesota at the Wells Fargo Center and earned the tournament’s most outstanding player. The victory, Gostisbehere joked, comes up in conversation with new teammate and Minnesota alumnus Brady Skjei “here and there.”
“A lot of memories flood back, not only pro, but in college, too,” Gostisbehere said. “I won a national title here. It’s a cool building to play in and I’m thankful I get to play in it.”
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While the logo on Gostisbehere’s jersey has changed twice over the last two years, the friendships he established over seven years with the Flyers remain. When the Flyers visited Raleigh on March 9, Gostisbehere hung out with some of his former teammates, including Laughton, Kevin Hayes, and Joel Farabee after the game.
When Gostisbehere suits up for the playoffs while the Flyers watch from afar, Laughton will temporarily change his allegiance.
“I’ll be his biggest fan and a couple other guys,” Laughton said. “It’s good to see him get an opportunity there and kind of get his confidence back from where he was at with us and have an opportunity to win.”