From the 1/26/24 PHLY Flyers Podcast episode (15:20), on Owen Tippett (reportedly) signing an eight-year deal and players wanting to be in Philly.
Charlie O'Connor: Owen Tippett feels like—he was a guy where, when I did the feature on him [in 2022] about a month after [the Flyers] traded for him, I talked to a bunch of people...who he knew well in juniors, I talked to his junior coach, I talked to other coaches that he's dealt with in the past.
And the one thing I always heard from them was that, if Owen Tippett gets in an environment where he feels like he belongs, and he feels like he's accepted for who he is, for the personality that he has—because he is a low-key guy. He is a, I would go so far as to say that I think he is an introvert. I think he is not exactly the gregarious, traditional hockey player jock type of person.
And the point that these people made to me about Owen Tippett is, if he goes to a team, and he's in a locker room where he is not just off in the corner by himself all the time, but he is part of the friendship group, that he is part of—that he's a guy who gets called, like, "Hey, Owen, you wanna hang out with us, we're going to the bar tonight"—
Bill Matz: Even though he's not necessarily like everyone, he's still—
BM: —he's still part of it.
COC: That he's still part of it. That, if that ever happens to Owen Tippett at the NHL level, you are gonna see him blossom as a player. Because he's just gonna feel so much better about himself, and feel like he's part of a team. And based on everything I've heard from the players, talking to them on the record, off the record—they think he's just a great guy. And they love him. They love Owen Tippett.
And Owen Tippett, he straight-up told me...basically said that, "I didn't realize it at the time, but it's such a blessing in disguise that I got traded from Florida. And not just because I'm playing well, but because I'm on a team now where I fit in." And that's just so important...he's found a team that he feels good being a part of. And not just in terms of the fact that he's scoring goals. But in terms of the fact that he feels he's been accepted by this group. That he's buddies with Travis Konecny, that he can pick the brain of Sean Couturier and Couturier's not just going to scoff at him...I think Tippett really does feel like he belongs here, and the fact that he was willing to sign an eight-year contract only proves it.
BM: Um, you just said, like, a bunch of serious stuff. How important is it, do you think, that he is surrounded by redheads?
COC [also a redhead]: I think it's extremely important.
