Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella has stirred up controversy once again by benching newly appointed team captain Sean Couturier for Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with fellow veteran Cam Atkinson.
«He was clueless about his ice time, why his ice time went down,» Lupien said. «But he said, ‘I'm just going to manage and play whatever he maybe wants me to play. If it's 14 minutes, it's going to be 14 minutes.'»
Lupien revealed that Couturier was unaware of the reasons behind his diminished role and expressed willingness to accept whatever playing time he's given.
«Throughout last year and at the beginning of (this) year, in the conversations with Sean, he always told me that Tortorella and him had a pretty good relationship,» Lupien said. «As soon as we get through that character, he's a pretty funny guy. And the conversations are good with him, and he knows what the team wants and what he wants from him.
He emphasized the importance of clear communication and respect for Couturier's leadership role as captain, urging Tortorella to provide an explanation for the lineup decisions.
«From my point of view, when I saw the news (Couturier was scratched), I'm like, I really hope the communication why and the reasons why are really clear. I hope he's going to get an explanation soon because he's the captain, a leader of the team, and he has ‘Philadelphia' tattooed on his chest since he got drafted. That's why he wanted to sign there and to sign a long contract. I hope he's going to get that respect from John Tortorella.»
Lupien highlighted Couturier's commitment to the Flyers, symbolized by his "Philadelphia" tattoo and long-term contract with the team.
