Cam Atkinson Reflects On 'Disappointing' Season, 'Unique' Relationship With John Tortorella

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While it’s understandable that players wouldn’t be too enthused speaking with the media the day after their last game of the season, Cam Atkinson looked particularly down.

“I guess the word I could say is just disappointed,” he said about his individual season. “Yeah, it’s unlike any situation I’ve ever been in in my career, so yeah.”

He described this year as being a kind of season that he’s never experienced in his storied NHL career, and how he had to adjust to a different role than the one he’s become accustomed to.

“You know, all 13 years [of my career], I’ve been a go-to guy,” he said. “I could contribute offensively and be put in situations to have success. So when you go from that to being in and out of the lineup, on the fourth line with limited minutes, there’s only so much you can do.

“When I was out there, I tried my hardest to make some sort of impact. I’ve never experienced that. Doing one to three shifts a period, it’s hard. But I try to be a good teammate and control what I can control and I’ll never go down that negative road. I want all my teammates to succeed and do well and we all want to be difference-makers, so when your role does change, you find ways to contribute any way you can. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really on the scoresheet.”

Atkinson admitted that head coach John Tortorella (who also coached Atkinson when the two were with the Columbus Blue Jackets) had conversations with him regarding his season, and that the organization as a whole was very transparent about the fact that the focus would be on the younger players.

“Torts and I definitely have a unique relationship,” he said. “I think all the conversations we’ve had this year together…I never want one or two things to hinder our relationship; those are the conversations we’ve had. He was very honest in the beginning of the season, and so was management and the organization and the fans…[the message was] we were going younger and those guys will get more of an opportunity. I get it. Torts and I are going to agree to disagree on a lot of things, but it is what it is at this point.”

He also acknowledged the speculation regarding his contract, making it clear that he plans on staying with the Flyers and putting in the work to get back to being the player he started the season as.

“I think starting off the season, I had a lot of juice in the tank and was playing good and scoring goals and putting up points and that sort of thing,” he said. “I think the second half kind of got away from me a little bit as far as just the wear and tear and grind, but I still feel like I have a lot of juice left in the tank.

“I have one more year on my contract. I I know the player I am and how I am and what’s made the player I am today and what’s gotten me to this level. I still feel like I have a lot of juice left in the tank for the right situation…I control what I can control.”

Despite being a constant target for criticism, Atkinson has his sights set on working hard in the offseason to come back next season and “prove everyone wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter what anyone says,” he stated. “I think, for me, it’s what has made me successful and how can I get back to being one of those go-to guys again and that’s all I’m really gonna focus on. I don’t care what anyone says. I just gotta believe in myself like I always have and prove everyone wrong like I always have my whole life and just go from there and have a great summer as far as working out. It’s a very important summer for me in terms of getting back to being the player I want to be and I know I can be. So, yeah, that’s all I’m gonna focus on.”

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