Pop quiz: Over the last two seasons, who leads all NHL players in shorthanded points? Answer: Flyers center/winger Scott Laughton.

Laughton compiled a combined 15 shorthanded points (five goals, 10 assists) across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons to top the National Hockey League. Travis Konecny, Laughton’s frequent penalty killing linemate, is second with 13 shorthanded points (NHL-high nine shorthanded goals, four assists).

It wasn’t just shorthanded goals. Even with a swoon down the stretch, the Flyers penalty kill ranked fourth leaguewide at an 83.4 percent success rate in 2023-24 after leading the league for much of the season. Combined with Konecny, Laughton was a key driver of the Flyers’ PK success last season.

Overall, from a statistical perspective, Laughton’s 2023-24 campaign was not as good as the previous season. He scored five fewer goals (down from 18 to 13). His overall production dropped by four points (43 to 39). Correspondingly, Laughton’s ice time went down a bit, too (18:17 average TOI in 2022-23 to 15:39 in 2023-24).

However, Laughton has long been a player whose value to the Flyers is measured as much by intangibles as statistics.

The alternate captain — who was the only Flyer to wear a letter under head coach John Tortorella until Sean Couturier was appointed captain — has now been a member of the Flyers organization for 12 years. He takes great pride in that identity and in being recognized as one of the central leaders.

When a new player comes to town, Laughton is always one of the first to welcome him and make sure he feels included. When someone is needed to have his finger on the team pulse and to speak the truth, Laughton is the go-to guy.

When the 2023-24 season ended with the disappointment of the Flyers narrowly missing the playoffs, Laughton simply and directly summarized what happened: too many points were left on the table while the team still controlled its own fate.

“Every game matters, every point matters,” Laughton said. “You could have put away the teams that were chasing you, and we just didn’t find a way.”
Laughton and his wife, Chloe, are among the most community-minded and active not just on the Flyers but anywhere in the National Hockey League. In three straight seasons, he’s been nominated for the King Clancy Trophy. The NHL awards the Clancy to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.

In 2023-24, Laughton won the inaugural Flyers Alumni Community Leadership Award. Similar in nature to the league’s King Clancy (chosen by a panel of hockey writers and broadcasters), the Flyers Alumni board of directors selects the Flyers player who best represents the team in the community for charitable and public service endeavors.

According to Flyers Alumni Association president Brad Marsh, Laughton was the overwhelming choice as the first winner.

“Not only does Scott represent all of the best qualities of what it means to be a Flyer on the ice, he is also tireless, year round, in supporting the Delaware Valley community. Put simply, he’s extremely deserving,” Marsh said.

“Scott eats, sleeps and breathes being a Flyer, on the ice and off the ice. Hockey is about winning, and no one cares more about the team’s success. He competes every night. Speaking personally, I think he represents everything that being a Flyer is and should be.”

In terms of what he brings on the ice, “versatility” is the operative word. Laughton comfortably moves as needed from center to wing, or vice versa. He’s played up and down the lineup. While streaky offensively, Laughton’s 200-foot commitment and aforementioned competitive drive are constants.