TORONTO — Breaking up is hard to do.
Heck, Laughton is even sleeping at the same downtown Toronto hotel as his ex.
“I got a room pretty close to Torts,” Laughton admits, before his money-on-the-board revenge tilt.
“He’s next to me!” Flyers coach John Tortorella exclaims, in exaggerated outrage. “I said, ‘Stay in your room. I’ll stay in mine. I don’t even want to see you.’ ”
Of course, they couldn’t help but steal a glance.
Tortorella — whom Laughton respects highly and argues “gets a bad rap” in the media — and his former alternate captain chatted face-to-face both Monday and Tuesday.
Those loyal Philly trainers and equipment staff with whom Laughton so wonderfully and playfully recreated The Last Supper that night leading to deadline? Well, he took them out again as they rolled through Toronto, reeling from Sunday’s 7-4 shellacking in Chicago.
Toronto may be a return to home, a realization of a boyhood dream. But Philly still holds a chunk of Laughton’s heart.
“It’s one of the greatest things you take out of the game. When you’re done, retired, whatever it may be, or a player leaves, you always have that relationship. And Scotty and I will always have that,” Tortorella says.
“But when it’s time to play, we play.”
No one is even bothering to downplay Laughton’s first game against the logo that drafted him, that he wore for 12 seasons, as just another night at the rink.
“Yeah, it’s gonna be different,” Laughton says. “Lookin’ at the pre-scout, and I’m in some of the clips.
“I grew up in Philly. Had our baby there. It’s always going to be part of us and part of our home. Probably keep our place there and go back there throughout our adult life. So, I think it’s always going to be home for me. And, yeah, it’s emotional when you go through a big change like that.”
Asked to identify his favourite memory as a Flyer, Laughton is at a loss.
“There’s too many,” he replies. And again, and again: “There’s too many. There’s too many. Too many good people I’ve met throughout the years.”
Laughton has been in regular contact with his ex-teammates as he struggles to find his niche in Craig Berube’s lineup — Centre? Wing? Third line? Fourth? — and live up to Brad Treliving’s first-plus-a-prospect expectations.
Laughton — who wore Börje Salming’s retired No. 21 in Philadelphia — notes that one of the reasons he chose to slap 24 on his back in Toronto was to honour his pal, Nick Seeler. (We suspect it’s also a nod to Wayne Simmonds, too, another Flyer-turned-Leaf.)
“Two-four horse!” Seeler says. “That’s pretty cool. He’s a really good friend, so that’s fun to see that.”
Laughton and frenemy Travis Konecny, a notorious agitator, chirped each other so often as teammates, strangers would wonder if they actually disliked each other. Both are sharpening their on-ice chirps for Tuesday.
“I’m ready for him. I’ve always been ready for him,” Laughton smiles. “We were always going after each other in the room anyway.”
The latest Philadelphian whose life got flipped turned upside down is doing his best to see the positives of an eight-game start in Toronto that has resulted in zero points, a minus-5 rating, and one goal wiped of the board due to a high stick.
Laughton says freely that he has been hard on himself for stumbling out the gate, but the organization has been supportive, and the Leafs are optimistic that his gutsy, two-way style of play will pay dividends in the post-season.
“I honestly believe it’s one of the hardest, if not the hardest, things to do in our sport is getting traded like that at the deadline. From top to bottom, the challenges that come with that — not even anything to do with hockey, just away from the rink,” empathizes linemate Max Domi, who has changed teams six times.
“Anything from just driving to the rink or showing up and seeing different security people, all those little details that you never think of. Breakfast. OK, how do I get to the airport from the practice rink?
“It sounds kind of dumb. But when you’re so driven by all these rituals and routines that we have, it throws you off a little bit. So, I think that was probably the biggest challenge, but it’s also a really cool opportunity.”
The ability to jump off a rebuilding ship to a high-hopes contender, to play in the post-season for the first time in five springs — that’s what drives Laughton.
“I wanted to play playoff hockey, and this is a great chance for me. And to be here at home with family is kind of the sweetener to that,” the 30-year-old says. “This an unbelievable team that has really good talent, and I’m really excited to get the playoffs.
“That’s why you play the game. To have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, especially at this point now in my career, it’s really special for me.”
Special, too, is the legacy Laughton left in Philadelphia.
Tortorella explains how integral the veteran was in shepherding the next wave of Flyers hope. How his sense of humour, consistent work ethic, and natural leadership set a standard. Got contagious.
He’d inject life to the dressing room, then invite the rookie over to his family’s home afterward.
“He’s full of just the glue of a locker room. I think that’s really important, especially where we’re at as an organization and trying to build — to have that foundation guy to understand just the small things before you even get on the ice, to help transport that over to our younger guys. He was very important that way,” says Tortorella.
Then, unprompted, the coach sticks up for Laughton like he’s still one of his own. Just as Laughton is quick to defend the sometimes-cantankerous Torts before the criticism hits.
“It’s hard for him. I know it’s been a little bit of an adjustment for him here. You’re with one organization for your whole career, drafted and all that, and going through all the crap we’ve gone through there to come here,” Tortorella says. “I know in talking to him, he’s just trying to keep his head down and trying to fit in, whereas when he’d walk into the locker room in Philly, he’d take it over.
“I hope people are patient with him, because it’s a huge adjustment for him. But you’re going to find out what he’s about eventually here.”
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Maybe that starts Tuesday, after Laughton and Tortorella wake up from their respective pregame naps, separated by a single hotel wall.
“I’m sure he’s going to play extra hard against us,” Seeler figures.
“I expect a lot of energy tonight,” Konency agrees.
“He’s got a lot of pride. So, even though it was very difficult seeing him go, he’s going to be wanting to stick it to us tonight.”
Maple Leafs projected lineup Tuesday vs. Philadelphia:
Knies – Matthews – Marner
McMann – Tavares – Nylander
Laughton – Domi – Robertson
Lorentz – Holmberg – Järnkrok
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