Shayne Gostisbehere believes he answered the bell in face of adversity

Like most of his teammates, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere didn't enjoy the most fulfilling of seasons in 2020-21. 

Already in the fourth year of a six-year, $27 million contract ($4.5 million salary-cap hit), Gostisbehere was waived at one point by the Flyers this season. However, nobody put in a claim for the 28 year old's services, and he returned to the Flyers to play some valuable minutes down the stretch in a season that would ultimately end up on the outside looking in of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

"Obviously, Shayne, like the rest of our team, he's not the only one who has had some consistency issues," coach Alain Vigneault said after Gostisbehere was waived. "But this does permit us to be flexible."

He'd finish with nine goals and 11 assists in 41 games played along with a -2 plus/minus rating. Combined with his being waived, he was also sometimes a healthy scratch in Vigneault's lineup, and also served a suspension near the end of the regular season. Needless to say, it was a roller coaster of a season. 

He attested to the challenges that he went through during this afternoon's end-of-season press conference, and looked for the silver lining in what was a difficult year by saying it builds character. 

"I had a lot of adversity this season, obviously with COVID, getting waived, suspended, healthy scratched, all that. But I think every time I came back I answered the bell," he said. "I came back with a vengeance, and I responded really well and positively for our team. I think that just shows that on a personal level, dealing with adversity is not a problem. You'll have to do that to build your character as a human being and just worry about the things you can control.

That's what I did, I just played hockey." 

Of course, one of the realities that professional athletes must go through over the course of their careers are rumors of potentially being moved in a deal to a different city. For Gostisbehere, it would certainly be "weird" to play in a different city, but that sort of thing isn't within his control. 

"Obviously it weighs on you," he said. "It's your life. I've been living here for almost seven years now and the thought of going somewhere else is definitely weird. But I think positive I'm taking from this season is that I'm back in the sense that I'm making plays again. I've got my confidence, and if I  do go somewhere, it is what it is. I'll just have to do what I said before, which is what's in my control, which is playing hockey. It's what I'll have to do."