Thursday morning marked a “new era of orange” for the Philadelphia Flyers. That was their message as they finalized the leadership group that will go forward with the process of rebuilding the team.
This leadership group was already partially assembled. Dan Hilferty was hired as the new CEO of Comcast and will take over as Flyers governor. Valerie Camillo remains as the CEO of Business Operations for the Flyers. John Tortorella remains behind the bench as head coach.
The final two pieces are now officially in place. The Flyers officially announced the hiring of Keith Jones as President of Hockey Operations and removed the interim tag from Danny Briere, officially making him the general manager.
“Today marks a new era for the Philadelphia Flyers,” Hilferty said in a statement. “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.
“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.”
Jones, 54, spent the last 23 years as an analyst for the Flyers on NBC Sports Philadelphia as well as contributing to national coverage on NBC and TNT. He had a nine-year playing career from 1992-2000, including parts of three seasons with the Flyers.
Briere, 45, spent the last eight seasons learning the ropes of the hockey operations and business sides with the Maine Mariners, also owned by Comcast-Spectacor. He was named a special assistant to the general manager on Feb. 8, 2022, and took over as interim GM when Chuck Fletcher was fired on March 10, 2023. Briere also spent 17 years as a player in the NHL, including six seasons with the Flyers.
The full leadership group will be on hand for a press conference on Friday morning at 11:30 a.m.
