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Daniel Briere

Flyers Notes: Briere, Laperriere, Flahr

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Earlier this morning, Interim General Manager Daniel Briere of the Philadelphia Flyers held a press conference introducing his new title to the media. Briere touched on many aspects of where he expects Flyers hockey to go. One of the more popular soundbites coming out of the press conference is that Briere believes the Flyers must enter a “rebuild that will be a multi-year process”. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet also noted that Briere doesn’t believe a fire sale is justifiable, as he believes there are still talented players on their current roster.

Since his retirement from the NHL after the 2014-15 season, Briere has been working in various capacities for Philadelphia since 2017. Briere was initially put in charge of the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, a team that was purchased by Comcast Spectacor, the same ownership group of the Flyers. After serving as General Manager for the Mariners, Briere was named a special assistant to the General Manager for the Flyers halfway through last season.

The Flyers are expected to go through a hiring process to determine who will oversee this team full-time, and although Briere may be the front-runner, there is no guarantee that he will be given the job. With a deep 2023 NHL Draft on the horizon, and the Flyers having some money coming off the books before free agency begins, it will be interesting to see how Briere handles putting the beginning touches on the Flyers’ rebuild.

Other notes from the press conference:

  • Briere gave a lot of credit to former Flyer Ian Laperriere in his development of key prospects on Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Since being named the head coach before the 2021-22 AHL season, Laperriere has helped graduate several Flyers prospects such as Cameron York, Tyson Foerster, and Morgan Frost. With a lot of changes expected to come internally to the Flyers organization, Laperriere may be a popular name for promotion.
  • Since taking a job with the Flyers during the 2018-19 season, Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr has seen many ups and downs in Philadelphia. Briere noted during his press conference that the expectation is that Flahr is expected to remain with the team for the foreseeable future. Since working his way up as a scout with the Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks, Flahr spent a few short seasons with the Ottawa Senators as their Director of Hockey Operations. Beginning in the 2009-10 season until his eventual move to Philadelphia, Flahr was the Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Wild.

 

Philadelphia Flyers Fire Chuck Fletcher

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced this morning that they have released Chuck Fletcher from his duties as President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.

In addition, former Flyer Daniel Briere has been named Interim General Manager while the team begins the process of permanently filling two separate positions: a President of Hockey Operations and a General Manager, indicating that the team is pursuing the split structure that other clubs, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, have employed.

Dave Scott, Chairman of Comcast Spectacor and Governor of the Philadelphia Flyers, issued the following statement, that begins:

The Philadelphia Flyers organization has always been defined by grit, determination, and a standard of excellence. Over the past several seasons, our team simply has not lived up to that standard, so today, we will begin to chart a new path forward under a new leadership structure for Hockey Operations.

The full statement can be read in the team’s release. While circumstances outside of the organization’s control have definitely played a part in the Flyers’ struggles in recent seasons, the fact that this change has ultimately been made should not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed Philadelphia recently.

Fletcher was originally hired by the Flyers to replace former general manager Ron Hextall, whose patient, sometimes overly passive approach to team-building was believed to be holding the Flyers back. At that point, led by Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier, and some ascending young players, the club believed that they had all the right ingredients (and the right head coach in Alain Vigneault) to win them hockey glory.

That belief held some merit, as the Flyers nearly made it to the Eastern Conference Final in the “bubble” playoffs in 2019-20 before ultimately falling to the New York Islanders. That belief that their club was on the cusp of true Stanley Cup contention, however reasonable at the time, proved to be the underlying mistake that inspired much of what went wrong in Fletcher’s tenure.

When the wheels fell off in 2020-21 and the team stumbled out of the playoff picture, it was despite their intention on competing, and so although the team had disappointed, the organization remained steadfast in their belief that true contention was not far away. This led to some questionable team-building decisions that, while undoubtedly made as part of a collaborative effort on behalf of multiple decision-makers in the organization, ultimately are Fletcher’s responsibility as he was at the top of hockey operations.

It began in the summer of 2019, when the Flyers signed career second-line center Kevin Hayes to a seven-year, $7.14MM AAV contract.

Hayes had reached the 20-goal mark just once in the five seasons prior to signing the mega-deal, with 25 goals in 2017-18 with the New York Rangers. He had hovered around 2o goals multiple times, but hardly had warranted a long-term contract, but the Flyers were desperate for a scoring center.

Hayes had a solid first season in Philadelphia, with 23 goals and 18 assists for 41 points in 69 games, but did not take the offensive leap the Flyers were hoping for. Hayes has struggled to stay healthy since that first season, appearing in less than 60 games the next two years, but has rebounded a bit with 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points in 64 games.

With three seasons left on that contract, Hayes is now looking like an odd man out in Philadelphia, although the large hit against the cap will make moving him a difficult task.

In 2021, the Flyers acquired defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators, taking on a contract with a $6.2MM AAV running through the 2026-27 season. Ellis has played just four games for the Flyers, and has missed the entire current season due to injury.

The trade for Ellis saw center Nolan Patrick, the No. 2 overall pick in 2017, shipped out for a quick fix on the blueline. Ellis had been a strong member of a stout Nashville Predators blueline for a few years, and on paper looked to be a strong acquisition for Philadelphia.

Ellis surely would have aided in making the Flyers a more difficult team to play against, and his absence hasn’t made things easier.

Another move that has resulted in a highly paid player not producing as much as the team would like was the trade for forward Cam Atkinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Jakub Voracek. Atkinson brought a lower cap hit to the Flyers, but has missed the entire season due to injury.

Another move made for a defenseman in the summer of 2021 brought Rasmus Ristolainen from the Buffalo Sabres. The Flyers signed Ristolainen to a five-year contract with an AAV of $5.1MM. Ristolainen has been on the ice for the Flyers, but hasn’t provided much of an impact, especially offensively with just two goals and 12 assists for 14 points this season.

Fletcher’s legacy with the Flyers is the construction of an expensive roster that has performed nowhere near expectations. The Flyers are in a tough spot, as they stare down the abyss of a potential rebuild while also boasting some solid talent depth on the roster, although much of that depth is signed to long-term contracts that would be difficult to part with.

It will be interesting to see how Briere moves into the role, as he is likely auditioning for a chance to be involved with the Flyers’ hockey operations decision-making moving forward.

Philadelphia Flyers Add Daniel Briere To Hockey Ops

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The Philadelphia Flyers have officially named Daniel Briere to the position of special assistant to the general manager, bringing him into the front office on a full-time basis. Briere had previously been with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL, most recently as president and governor. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher explained what it means to have Briere join:

I’m very happy to add Danny to our hockey operations team in a full-time role. His insight and experience from 25 years in professional hockey, as well as first-hand knowledge of the Philadelphia Flyers, is a valuable asset for our organization and I look forward to working closely with him on a day-to-day basis.

Briere, 44, is considered a top up-and-coming executive and was even considered for the GM role with the Montreal Canadiens recently. He has been a development consultant with the Flyers for the past two years and before his time with Maine, served on the business operations side of the Philadelphia organization.

Now, according to Fletcher, Briere will be involved in all aspects of hockey operations including scouting and player development. A veteran of 973 regular season games, Briere racked up more than 300 goals in a long career that included a long stint with the Flyers. While his regular season production was excellent, it is the playoffs where most of the center’s memorable moments occurred. Briere was an outstanding postseason performer, racking up 116 points in 124 career playoff games and helping the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, leading all players in scoring.

All of that experience will now come into play for the Flyers front office, where he’ll take the next step toward a likely eventual future at the helm of an NHL team.

Flyers Expected To Promote Daniel Briere

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The Flyers are set to make a change to their front office.  As first reported by Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo and since confirmed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link), Philadelphia is set to promote Daniel Briere to a higher role in the organization.  The exact title he’ll now hold is uncertain, either as an Assistant GM or Special Assistant to the GM with an official announcement expected in the next couple of weeks.

The long-time center, who spent six seasons with them as a player, has been a consultant to the team for the past two seasons and held the Special Assistant title for a couple of years after retiring but the bulk of his front office work has been done outside the organization.  He has held several roles with Maine of the ECHL, helping build that franchise up from the ground and is currently their team President and Governor.

Briere recently interviewed for the GM role in Montreal and while that role ultimately went to Kent Hughes, he was believed to be one of the three finalists for the position.  Now, it appears he’ll get an opportunity to do more with the Flyers as GM Chuck Fletcher starts to build up Philadelphia’s front office.

AHL Notes: Malone, Trade, Signings

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Veteran minor leaguer Sean Malone is set to miss an extended period of time following recent surgery, reports Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Malone is a familiar name to Buffalo Sabres fans; the Harvard product has spent four of five pro seasons with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and three of those under contract with the Sabres. After leaving last season to sign with the Nashville Predators, Malone returned to Buffalo this off-season and has been enjoying the best season of his career with nine goals and 22 points in 23 games with Rochester. However, Hoppe writes that an undisclosed lower-body injury that has plagued the 26-year-old throughout much of his career finally caught up with him, forcing him to opt for surgery. The decision will keep Malone out at least six weeks, according to Americans head coach Seth Appert. Though Malone has only two NHL games to his credit, one with Buffalo and one with Nashville, the veteran is a trusted member of the Sabres’ organizational depth chart and one whose absence in the minors will be noticed. Appert states that Malone is a leader and “go-to guy” who has been instrumental in the development of top Sabres prospects like Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka. Though Malone is expected to be out until at least March, hopefully the veteran can return to action at full strength and hit the ground running at his current career scoring pace, perhaps even earning another chance in Buffalo.

  • The Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes completed an AHL trade on Friday, with forward Stephen Harper moving from the Chicago Wolves to the Tucson Roadrunners in exchange for future considerations. Harper was the hero of the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Playoffs last season, earning postseason MVP honors for leading the Fort Wayne Komets to a title behind 13 points in 12 playoff games – all as a rookie no less. He has continued to excel at the “AA” level this year too, with 18 points in 15 games. However, the power forward hasn’t earned much more opportunity this year as a result of those efforts. Harper has played in just six AHL games this season in a limited role, which is likely what prompted a trade. The 26-year-old USports product is not exactly an NHL prospect, but has earned a chance to show what he can do at the next level and the Roadrunners appear willing to give him that opportunity.
  • Is a Daniel Briere pipeline forming between the ECHL’s Maine Mariners and the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms? The Mariners may be affiliated with the Boston Bruins, but they share an owner with the Philadelphia Flyers in Comcast Spectacor and GM and President Briere is a former long-time Flyer himself. For the third time already this season, a Mariner has signed an AHL contract with the Flyers’ affiliate in Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms announced that they have signed forward Alex Kile to a contract for the remainder of the season. Kile was the first ever signing by the Mariners when they joined the ECHL back in 2018  and the University of Michigan product has 162 points in 201 ECHL games ever since, with some AHL loans mixed in as well. With five goals and 12 points in seven games with Maine so far this year, the Phantoms decided that the 27-year-old Kile was worthy of a more permanent AHL stay.
  • The Washington Capitals have seen enough from USports forward Derek Gentile this season to put an end to his collegiate season with a pro contract. The Dalhousie University standout signed a contract with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, though he will begin his pro career in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. Gentile, the captain of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in 2019-20, missed his first collegiate season in 2020-21 but you wouldn’t know it by his play this season. Gentile recorded 15 goals and 27 points in 18 games for Dalhousie prior to his departure. And he stayed hot in his pro debut on Friday, posting two goals and an assist in his pro debut. Gentile could be in Hersey very shortly if that keeps up.

Snapshots: Canadiens, Staal, Brown

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The Montreal Canadiens are getting closer to naming a new general manager, as Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports they’ve narrowed their search to just three candidates. Engels believes that Daniel Briere and Mathieu Darche are two of those three, and notes that some of the other candidates interviewed could still land different positions with the organization.

Montreal has been without a GM since firing Marc Bergevin in November, but with Jeff Gorton in place as executive vice president of hockey operations, there was no rush to fill the position. Even the new hire isn’t expected to carry the same weight of responsibility that Bergevin did over the last decade and was always expected to be someone with less experience in NHL front offices. While Darche has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2019, Briere has been serving as GM and president of the Maine Mariners of the ECHL the last several years.

  • While Eric Staal is focused on the Olympics with Team Canada, he spoke to Michael Russo of The Athletic and indicated that he would gladly drop that dream to sign in the NHL immediately, if a team offered him a contract. It isn’t likely that contract is going to come with the Minnesota Wild, even though Staal is currently with their AHL affiliate on a professional tryout. Staal currently sits at 1,293 regular season games played and could become just the 64th player in NHL history to break 1,300 should he sign for the stretch run this year.
  • Connor Brown played more than 19 minutes last night, scoring a goal and an assist in the Ottawa Senators win over the Calgary Flames. He did it all with a broken jaw, apparently, as head coach D.J. Smith told TSN radio today that the forward was hit with a puck in the warm-up that caused the injury. He’ll is considered out week-to-week now as he recovers. Brown has five goals and 19 points in 26 games this season.

Montreal Canadiens Reaching Out To General Manager Candidates

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As reported by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Montreal Canadiens are beginning the process of reaching out to candidates for their vacant general manager position. LeBrun reports that Montreal has reached out to Roberto Luongo, Mathieu Darche, and Daniel Briere, asking their teams’ permission to interview them for the role.

While LeBrun notes there are other candidates possible, those are three interesting names to focus on. Luongo is somewhat recently retired, hanging up the skates after the 2018-19 season, but he’s been in a management role ever since. For the past three seasons, he’s been a special assistant to the general manager with the Florida Panthers, a team that’s experienced a quick rise to success in that time. He also now has general manager experience internationally, serving as the general manager for Team Canada at the 2021 World Championships. Even with his recently retired status, that experience makes him an appealing candidate nonetheless.

Briere has general manager experience, too, however. After retiring from the NHL during the 2015 offseason, he immediately joined the Philadelphia Flyers, also in a special assistant role. He stayed there for two years before joining the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, where he’s been ever since. He’s been in a variety of roles there, serving as the vice president of hockey operations from 2017-18 to last season and the general manager in 2019-20 and 2020-21. His role was upgraded to team president for 2021-22.

Darche actually retired as a Canadien in 2012, but has the least experience out of all three candidates. His experience was in no small role, however. He’s been the director of hockey operations in Tampa Bay since 2019-20, getting a Stanley Cup ring in his first two seasons. The championship pedigree is hard to ignore, and the Lightning organization have developed some serious front office talent in recent years.

Regardless, it’s an exciting development for Canadiens fans eager to see a new face in the role.

Daniel Briere Linked To Montreal Canadiens GM Job

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Montreal Canadiens president and CEO Geoff Molson met with the media for more than an hour today to discuss the recent changes in senior leadership. He discussed several things, including the dismissal of former general manager Marc Bergevin, the appointment of the new executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, and the search for the team’s next GM. The team continues to explain to fans that the next GM will speak french, which immediately set off speculation across the hockey world on who could be a candidate for the job.

One interesting point Molson made, however, is that the Canadiens are open to hiring someone who does not have previous GM experience. The executive pointed to the fact that Bergevin himself did not have any GM experience when he was hired in 2012, and the new front office boss will have Gorton to lean on in a partnership.

With that in mind, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that Daniel Briere is “very high up on the list” of candidates for the GM job. That would certainly make sense, given his familiarity with the language, market, and Gorton. The Gatineau native played the 2013-14 season for the Canadiens and has been running the Maine Mariners of the ECHL–a team that was affiliated with the New York Rangers when Gorton was in charge–since 2017. Briere is considered an up-and-coming executive after his long, successful NHL career, though jumping from the ECHL directly into the Montreal GM job would certainly be a leap.

Of course, the Canadiens are likely to hire several people after firing not only Bergevin but also assistant GM Trevor Timmins and seeing assistant GM Scott Mellanby resign. Even Molson admitted today that the job is too big for one person, explaining his regret that he didn’t insulate Bergevin further with another high-ranking executive. Obviously, Gorton–who signed a long-term deal–will be one of the decision-makers, but whoever does take the GM job will need assistants as well.

In all, this should be an exciting search that could result in a huge opportunity being given to someone who has yet to lead an NHL front office. Briere is very high up on the list, but that list is long.

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