"It's not easy having an 18-year-old live by himself right away, so I just offered it to him," Briere said.
That means the Flyers' top three centers, at one time or another, will have had the same South Jersey address.
"The adaptation will probably be easier being with him," Couturier said. "He's a great pro to learn from, so it should be fun. It's a nice setup for me."
Briere, 34, said having a teammate live with him and his boys adds energy to his home.
"It was fun having Claude around; we had a good time, and it brought even more life than we already had with the boys and the dogs," Briere said. "I have an extra room, so it works out, and obviously it makes it easier that he's French Canadian as well, just like Claude. So he can speak French to the kids as much as possible."
The Flyers can only hope the arrangement works as well on the ice for Couturier as it did for Giroux and Briere, each of whom played in last season's All-Star Game.
Giroux, now 23, had a breakout season last year (25 goals, 76 points), while Briere had a career-best 34 goals.
Living with Briere helped his development, Giroux said.
"Any time you see a veteran doing what he does off the ice, you learn from it," Giroux said. "Last year was a big year, learning-wise, for me. Not just on the ice, but off the ice, too. I had Danny to follow. I think he's pretty smart about getting your rest and making sure you're focused for the game and kind of thinking more hockey."
The move will help Couturier, but he may have some problems gaining weight, Giroux said.
"Obviously Danny's a terrible cook," Giroux said with a smile, "but other than that . . ."
(Full disclosure: Briere, his boys, and Giroux ate take-out almost every night.)
