Gostisbehere scratched after being named Philly's athlete of the year

Shayne Gostisbehere is likely feeling a whirlwind of emotions Thursday.

After the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman was named the Philadelphia Pro Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association, the 23-year-old learned that he'll be a healthy scratch Thursday night when his club takes on the Winnipeg Jets.

Head coach Dave Hakstol broke the news in the morning, suggesting the decision is simply to help his growth.

"He'll be out of the lineup tonight," said Hakstol, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com. "That's a part of growth and development and part of our group in terms of accountability in our play overall. So yeah ... people can't make too much out of it. It's not a small thing to have Shayne out of our lineup, yet it's a good thing for him in his growth and his development and a few things we're asking him to concentrate on."

After finishing second to Artemi Panarin in Calder Trophy voting last season, the sophomore defenseman, who has three goals and 10 points through 17 games (tied for fourth on the Flyers), was thankful for the consolation prize he received earlier in the day.

"Just to be associated with the award is something special to me and my family as well," Gostisbehere said, according to Philly.com's Sam Carchidi. "It's a tremendous honor."

"I didn't think I was going to come in and make the impact I did," he added. "But I came in wanting to contribute to the team and help the team along the way. That's what stuck with me all the way: Just put the individual stuff to the side and keep your teammates always with you."

The Flyers enter Thursday's game having dropped four of their last five.