VOORHEES, NJ- Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes will be attending regularly when Philadelphia Flyers training camp begins on September 21st.

Couturier has not played since December 18 and underwent back surgery on February 11. The 29-year-old centre-back said he was acquitted by doctors on September 21.

“I’m feeling good,” Couturier said on Monday. It’s been a long time getting back into shape, longer than I thought and with ups and downs, but now I feel good and I’m ready. I can’t wait to start over. »

Couturier’s absence has left a large gap in the team’s front row. In 29 games with him, the Flyers had gone 12-12-5 with an average of 2.66 goals per game. In his absence, her record was 13-34-6 with a 2.51 GAA.

He has resumed training on and off the ice and his goal is to remind his teammates and new head coach, John Tortorella, of the impact he can have on a team.

“I want to prove that I’m healthy again and I came back with the goal of being the player I can be, who I was and maybe even better,” he said. I think Torts is about pushing us, making camp challenging with a lot of skating to see if we’re in shape. So I have to prove myself and show everyone that I’m back at the same level as before. »

Hayes, who has had three abdominal surgeries in the past year, is also keen to show he’s healthy again. He said the third surgery on January 18, when fluid was removed from his hip adductors, helped heal the infection that was causing his problems.

He finished last season with 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 48 games, including 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 28 games, a Flyers high after losing his third surgery on May 5.

“It’s my first summer in two years where I’m at 100 percent and nothing bothers me when it’s time to start training again. »

Not only is his body healthy, Hayes’ mental approach is even better knowing he can trust his body again. A process that began last season and was reinforced by his feel on the ice.

“Last year there were times when the game was over and I wondered if I would feel good again,” he explained. It feels good to know that I can start playing hockey again, have fun, and not worry about my groins every time I play. That was the main reason I returned to the game, because I wanted to keep my head clear. I hope it continues like this. »

With Couturier and Hayes, the Flyers believe they can silence skeptics who say they won’t make the playoffs after missing them the last two seasons.

Along with Tortorella’s arrival, the Flyers also got their hands on the defender Tony DeAngelo in a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 8, and they went on to sign Nicolas Deslauriers and defense attorney Justin Braun.

“We have a really good team on paper,” said Hayes. But when you’re having a tough year like last year, it just adds up. With ‘Torts’ as my coach, I expect camp to be tough but fun. I think hard work will bring us together and hopefully we’ll become a team faster than usual. »