Jones and Briere chosen to lead Flyers rebuild and restore Flyers winning culture and tradition
By Philadelphia Flyers
@NHLFlyers philadelphiaflyers.com
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today the club has named Keith Jones to the position of President of Hockey Operations and named Daniel Briere to the position of General Manager.
With this announcement, the Flyers have finalized their new management structure. The President of Hockey Operations will lead the strategic direction for all aspects of the hockey operations department while collaborating on business goals. The General Manager is responsible for all hockey decisions as it pertains to signings, trades and draft picks as well as overseeing scouting, player development, roster construction and more. Head coach John Tortorella will remain boss of the bench and like most head coaches in the NHL, he'll provide input on various management topics.
Statement by Daniel J. Hilferty, Comcast Spectacor Chairman & CEO and Governor of the Philadelphia Flyers
"Today marks a new era for the Philadelphia Flyers. This is a storied franchise with the most passionate fans in the National Hockey League. Our ultimate goal is to deliver them a championship. Achieving that goal will take time. We intend to honor the incredible history of the Orange and Black while paving a fresh path forward. That starts by creating a winning culture throughout the organization.
Throughout my career, I've been fortunate to put together collaborative teams that have achieved great things. This is about more than simply hiring a President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. We are thoughtfully constructing a leadership team. Our top priority was to find leaders who bring unique skill sets, experience and temperament to maximize the group's potential.
With this new Flyers leadership in place, we are committed to a collaborative approach on and off the ice. The five leaders of the business and hockey operations will work in lockstep across all areas to restore the winning tradition of Flyers Hockey.
Entering his second season, Head Coach John Tortorella has set the tone for what is expected from our players. Torts has extensive experience behind the bench with a proven track record of success, which includes a Stanley Cup Championship. Having a coach of his caliber already in place is a tremendous advantage.
Danny Briere brings a fresh perspective and intense drive to the General Manager role. Danny is enthusiastic about rebuilding the franchise he knows so well, having spent eight seasons in our front office and six seasons as a player. After an impressive 17-year NHL career, he understands today's game, today's player, and how to make smart hockey decisions as we navigate the future of both. Danny has proven without a doubt that he is the right person for this job and what we are trying to accomplish.
After an extensive process conducted by Valerie Camillo - President & CEO of Spectacor Sports & Entertainment - talented advisors including Modern Executive Solutions and me, our search for a new President of Hockey Operations ended with Keith Jones. It was critical to find someone who would complement Coach Tortorella and Danny in their roles while overseeing the strategic direction of the team. As a former player whose career concluded in Philadelphia, "Jonesy" understands the value of creating chemistry and enabling leadership within a team. He has extensive experience analyzing and evaluating talent, and knows first-hand how important collaboration is on and off ice - a key factor for us moving forward.
I have full confidence that both Keith and Danny - together with Coach Tortorella, Valerie and me - are the right leadership team to guide the Philadelphia Flyers. We are unanimously committed to rebuilding and sustaining a winning culture - and doing it the right way."
Statement by Keith Jones, President of Hockey Operations
"I would like to thank Dan Hilferty for this opportunity and confidence in me. Today is one of the most humble and proudest days of my life," said Jones. "To be able to lead this team back to the winning tradition that everyone knows it can, and should be, is a true honor and one that I do not 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."
Statement by Daniel Briere, General Manager
"To say that this has been a dream of mine would be an understatement," said Briere. "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. I truly believe this is an exciting time for the Flyers with the steps that we've taken this past season, the way our team has responded to the standard that was set both on and off the ice, and the path that we are on. There is a lot of work to be done, but these last few months have only strengthened my resolve and made me even more eager to rebuild this team and deliver this city a Stanley Cup."
Background on Keith Jones
Jones spent the previous 23 years as an analyst for Flyers telecasts on NBC Sports Philadelphia (NBCSP), as well as national broadcasts on NBC, and most recently for TNT's coverage of the NHL in each of the last two seasons. He covered marquee games such as the NHL Winter Classic, the Stanley Cup Final and other league showcase events. In addition to his work on NBCSP and NBC, Jones also spent 21 years on SportsRadio 94 WIP's Morning Show.
A native of Brantford, Ontario, Jones played nine years (1992-2001) in the National Hockey League (NHL) and registered 258 points (117g, 141a) and 765 penalty minutes in 491 career regular season games with Washington, Colorado and Philadelphia. He collected 24 points (12g, 12a) and 120 penalty minutes in 63 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests in eight consecutive postseasons (1992-2000). He retired on November 21, 2000 due to a knee injury.
He began his career in Philadelphia when he was acquired by the Flyers from the Avalanche in exchange for Shjon Podein on November 12, 1998. He registered 74 points (27g, 47a) and 164 penalty minutes in 131 games as a Flyer.
Jones was drafted by Washington in the seventh round (141st overall) of the 1988 NHL Draft following a four-year career at Western Michigan University from 1989-92, where he recorded 163 points (83g, 80a) in 153 career games. He was named the team's Rookie of The Year in 1989 and team MVP in 1992, while also earning First Team All-CCHA in 1992. He was inducted into the WMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
Background on Daniel Briere
Briere completed his eighth season with the Flyers front office and served as the club's Interim General Manager since Mar. 10. He was previously named the Special Assistant to the General Manager on Feb. 8, 2022 after he worked in all aspects of the team's hockey operations department including scouting and player development where he worked with the club's prospects, as well as current players, both on and off the ice.
He joined the Flyers hockey operations staff after parts of five years with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL, most recently as the President and Governor of the team.
Selected in the first round (24th overall) of the 1996 NHL Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes, Briere spent 17 years (1997-2015) in the NHL and recorded 696 points (307g, 389a) in 973 regular season games with the Coyotes, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Montreal and Colorado.
He spent six seasons with the Flyers after he signed an eight-year contract as a free agent on July 1, 2007. He recorded 283 points (124g, 159a) in 364 regular season games. During his tenure with the Flyers, Briere is known as one of the Flyers all-time best playoff performers with over a point-per-game pace with 72 points (37g, 35a) in 68 Stanley Cup Playoff games. His 1.06 playoff points per-game are third in Flyers history among players who have played 10 or more games, and he ranks second in franchise history for the most game-winning goals in the playoffs (9), one behind Rick MacLeish (10).
In 2009-10, Briere led the Flyers during their run to the Stanley Cup Final. He led all players in the postseason with 30 points (12g,18a) in 23 games, which also set a franchise record for most points in a single postseason.
Briere's first year with the Flyers was the 2007-08 season in which he led the team in goals (31) and ranked second in points (71) in 79 regular season games. The team had one of the most impressive bounce back seasons in NHL history with the club posting a 42-29-11 record for 95 points and reached the Eastern Conference Finals after finishing last in the League the previous season (2006-07) with a 22-48-12 record for 56 points. Briere also led the team in playoff scoring with 16 points (9g, 7a) in 17 games.
Throughout his entire postseason career, Briere has posted 116 points (53g, 63a) in 124 Stanley Cup Playoff games and has appeared in one Stanley Cup Final (2010) and four Conference Finals. He is a two-time NHL All-Star (2007 & 2011) and was named MVP of the All-Star Game in Dallas.
Internationally, he has represented Canada on several occasions and helped them win a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Junior Championships and back-to-back gold medals at the 2003 & 2004 IIHF World Hockey Championships.
Briere announced his retirement from the NHL on August 17, 2015.
