The Philadelphia Flyers have made significant changes to their management structure by appointing Keith Jones as President of Hockey Operations and Daniel Briere as General Manager. Following a dismal season in which the club went 31-38-13, the Flyers hope to restore a winning culture and recapture the team’s historical success.
The President of Hockey Operations will provide strategic direction for all aspects of hockey operations and collaborate on business goals, while the General Manager will be responsible for hockey decisions such as signings, trades, and draft picks. Head coach John Tortorella will retain his position and offer input on various management topics.
Keith Jones, a former player who spent 23 years as an analyst for Flyers telecasts, has been chosen as the President of Hockey Operations. Jones has experience analyzing talent and understands the importance of collaboration on and off the ice. As a former player in Philadelphia, he’s familiar with the team’s values and aims to lead them back to their winning ways.
Daniel Briere, who recently completed his eighth season with the Flyers front office, has been named the 10th General Manager in team history. Briere has worked in various roles within the franchise’s hockey operations department, including scouting and player development. His extensive experience as a player, spanning 17 years in the NHL, gives him valuable insight into the game and the ability to make smart hockey decisions. Briere expressed his excitement to rebuild the team and deliver a Stanley Cup to the city of Philadelphia.
“To say that this has been a dream of mine would be an understatement,” said Briere in a prepared statement. “I’ve dedicated my life to the sport of hockey and to be given this opportunity with the confidence from Dan Hilferty and the leadership group, in a city that means so much to me, words cannot describe my excitement.”
The Flyers’ management changes were carefully constructed to create a collaborative approach both on and off the ice. Following a rocky period under the direction of Ron Hextall and Chuck Fletcher, ownership is hoping to turn the page on a period which yielded little on ice success. The leadership team, consisting of the President of Hockey Operations, General Manager, head coach, and other key personnel, will work together to hopefully restore the winning tradition of Flyers Hockey.
The decision to appoint Jones and Briere was made following an extensive vetting process conducted by Valerie Camillo, the President and CEO of Spectacor Sports & Entertainment. The search aimed to find leaders with unique skill sets, experience, and temperament to maximize the team’s potential. With Tortorella already in place as head coach, the Flyers have a coach of high calibre who has achieved success, including a Stanley Cup Championship.
Philadelphia and its fans are known for their passion and dedication, something the new leadership group doesn’t take lightly.
“I consider the Philadelphia Flyers organization the gold standard of the NHL and professional sports. I’ve seen how this city and these fans can rally around their team and there is nothing that compares to that feeling. With this leadership group in place, I am beyond excited and fully confident that we are on the right path and the results will come,” said Keith Jones.
With their new front office in place, both Briere and Jones will now turn their attention to the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, in which the Flyers currently hold the 7th overall selection.
Photo: Andrea Shives. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.