Flyers name president of hockey operations, Daniel Briere becomes GM

The Philadelphia Flyers have officially named Keith Jones as the team’s new president of hockey operations, with Daniel Briere officially being promoted to GM.

Frank Seravalli identified Jones as a finalist earlier on Wednesday on "Daily Faceoff Live."

Jones, a former player with the Flyers from 1998-01, has acted as a television analyst since hanging up the skates, most recently as the team’s color analyst. Jones, 54, played 491 career games over nine seasons with Philadelphia, Colorado and Washington, registering 258 points and 765 penalty minutes. He also played four seasons with Western Michigan University, scoring 83 goals and 163 points in 153 games.

Other potential candidates included John Chayka, Scott Mellanby, Chris Pronger and Doug Wilson.

Briere, who also played for the Flyers, took over as GM after the club fired Chuck Fletcher and was relieved in early March. The 45-year-old played six seasons with the Flyers from 2007-12, highlighted by his 30 points during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs – one of the best runs of the 2000s. Briere had 696 points in 963 games over 17 years, with a career-high 95 points with the Buffalo Sabres in 2006-07. He also played for Arizona, Montreal and Colorado.

Once Briere’s interim tag is dropped, he’ll officially become the 10th GM in franchise history, with Bobby Clarke being the lone two-time manager. Other former players to hold the GM duties with the Flyers include Paul Holmgren (2006-14) and Ron Hextall (2014-18).

The Flyers have failed to qualify for the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, with the last series win coming against Montreal during the 2020 playoff bubble. The Flyers last won two playoff rounds in a row in 2010, when the club lost to Chicago in the Stanley Cup final.

The Flyers hold the seventh pick for the 2023 NHL Draft.