The Flyers appear to have their new front office leader.
He's a familiar face, name and voice.
Keith Jones, the former Flyer and broadcaster, is being hired as the club's new president of hockey operations, a source confirmed Wednesday night to NBC Sports Philadelphia. Danny Briere, who has been operating as the team's general manager in the interim, is expected to be named the full-time GM.
Update: Flyers announce new front office dynamic, aim to rebuild 'winning tradition'
Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli first reported Wednesday that Jones and fellow broadcaster Eddie Olczyk were the two finalists for the position. Former Flyer Chris Therien, who is on Crossing Broad's Snow the Goalie podcast, first reported Jones had gotten the job.
Jones has long been a well-liked personality in the business with a level-headed way of evaluating the game. The 54-year-old has a good relationship with Briere and head coach John Tortorella.
He had worked the last 17 seasons as a color analyst for the team's television broadcast on Comcast SportsNet/NBC Sports Philadelphia. He had also served NBC Sports and Turner Sports as a color commentator for national broadcasts.
NHL
Jones played parts of nine seasons in the NHL, three of them for the Flyers from 1998 to 2000. The winger finished his playing career with 117 goals and 258 points in 491 games. He played 63 career playoff games, including 18 in the Flyers' run to the 2000 Eastern Conference Final.
The Brantford, Ontario native played four years at Western Michigan and was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
While Jones has a strong understanding of the Flyers' organization and is highly connected within the league, he does not have front office experience.
How much say will he have in roster construction and decision-making? What kind of vision does he have for the Flyers? Is there a new dynamic the franchise wants to implement within its front office?
All valid and important questions.
More: Jones, Briere have something notable to help fend off inexperience concerns
The Flyers have gone through significant change since March, when they fired Chuck Fletcher from his role as president and GM. Later that month, Dave Scott, the head of ownership, announced his retirement. Dan Hilferty is now his successor as Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO and governor of the Flyers.
The organization is very much staring down a rebuild. It hasn't made the playoffs in three straight years for the first time since 1989-90 to 1993-94, when it went five straight seasons without a postseason berth.
Finding a new president of hockey operations was the Flyers' first order of business this offseason. The organization has a lot more work to do.
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