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Travis Sanheim is surprisingly benched for Flyers game in Calgary

Sanheim is not injured, but John Tortorella opted to sit the defenseman for the first time this season.

Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim skates with the puck against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 22.
Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim skates with the puck against the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 22.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
    by Staff Reports
    Published 

Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim is a surprisingly healthy scratch on Monday against the Calgary Flames.

The defenseman, who had played in all 57 of the team’s games before Monday, was culpable for the Vancouver Canucks’ second goal on Saturday night in a 6-2 defeat. He finished with a minus-1 rating over 22 minutes, 17 seconds of ice time in the game. The Flyers confirmed that the decision to bench Sanheim came from coach John Tortorella and not because of an injury. Sanheim took warmups but did not suit up for the contest.

» READ MORE: Flyers’ work ethic reappears in loss to Canucks, but offense continues to elude them

Tortorella’s decision to scratch Sanheim is a curious one, as the defenseman, who is from nearby Manitoba, played his junior hockey in Calgary for the Hitmen and had family in attendance to watch him play on Monday. The 26-year-old signed an eight-year, $50 million contract extension ($6.25 million average annual value) on opening night in October and is considered a key part of the organization’s future.

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This season, Sanheim is averaging over 20 minutes of ice time and has four goals, 16 points, and a minus-7 rating. He is the latest highly-paid Flyer to be benched by Tortorella, as Kevin Hayes, Tony DeAngelo, and Rasmus Ristolainen have also been scratched for a game this season. Tortorella is clearly trying to send a message to Sanheim, who has taken a step back this season after a career-best season in 2021-22.