The Philadelphia Flyers hired Keith Jones as their president of hockey operations and removed the interim tag for Daniel Briere as general manager, the team announced Thursday.
"It was critical to find someone who would complement coach (John) Tortorella and Danny (Briere) in their roles while overseeing the strategic direction of the team," Flyers CEO and Governor Daniel J. Hilferty said in a press release. "'Jonesy' understands the value of creating chemistry and enabling leadership within a team. He has extensive experience analyzing and evaluating talent and knows firsthand how important collaboration is on and off ice."
Jones has no front-office experience. He played nine NHL seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s, including three campaigns with the Flyers to end his career. Jones has worked as an analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia and TNT in his post-playing days.
"I consider the Philadelphia Flyers organization the gold standard of the NHL and professional sports," Jones said. "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."
Known as a hard-nosed winger, Jones tallied 117 goals, 141 assists, and 765 penalty minutes in 491 career NHL games.
Eddie Olczyk, John Chayka, Scott Mellanby, Chris Pronger, and Doug Wilson were reportedly among the candidates considered for the president vacancy.
Chuck Fletcher previously served as the team's president of hockey operations and general manager before being fired in March. Briere immediately assumed Fletcher's GM duties on an interim basis.
Briere has limited NHL front-office experience. He began his executive career in 2015-16 with the Flyers as a special assistant to the GM under Ron Hextall, a position he held for two seasons. Briere then worked for the ECHL's Maine Mariners in various roles, including vice president of hockey operations, general manager, and president.
He started working with Philadelphia again as a team consultant in 2020-21 before becoming a special assistant to Fletcher the following campaign. He played six seasons with the Flyers from 2007–13.
"Briere brings a fresh perspective and intense drive to the general manager role. … He understands today's game, today's player, and how to make smart hockey decisions as we navigate the future of both," Hilferty said. "Danny has proven without a doubt that he is the right person for this job and what we are trying to accomplish."
"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 on and off the ice, and the path that we are on," Briere said.
"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," he added.
Philadelphia went 31-38-13 in 2022-23, missing the playoffs for the third year in a row for the first time since the early '90s. The team holds the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft.
