Flyers remain consistent on long-term vision

One of the most refreshing things about this new Flyers regime, or New Era of Orange if you want to echo Dan Hilferty, is the consistent messaging we’ve gotten from the powers that be.

Consider the Cutter Gauthier situation, for example. The organization’s response was swift, targeted, and concise. All three members of the management triumvirate made themselves promptly available for interviews and relayed the same message. This strategy proved rather effective. The fan-base was delivered a common enemy in Gauthier, and Briere and Co. showed their willingness to let the Philadelphia faithful in on their process.

Something similar is happening regarding the state of the team and the fast-approaching trade deadline.

The Flyers are, admittedly, in a slightly awkward position. It isn’t very common for teams in their current standing (third in the Metro and with a 61.1 percent chance to make the playoffs) to be talking about selling come deadline day. It does happen, but often you’ll see a third-place team opt to land a rental or stay the course with their current roster, in the hopes that either decision will propel them closer to a playoff berth. Of course, this Flyers team has largely overachieved, and the plan from the beginning was to build the right way.

Apparently, that hasn’t changed, and it shouldn’t.

Almost mirroring the Gauthier response, each member of the hockey triumvirate, with John Tortorella replacing Dan Hilferty, made the rounds once more with local media.

In a sit-down with Ashlyn Sullivan of NBC Sports Philadelphia , Torts was blunt about the tough personnel decisions they’re going to wrestle with over the next few months.

“There’s gonna be some people probably upset come trading deadline too when we have to make some moves here because of where we’re at in the process…We just can’t fall in love. You can’t because if you do, it’s gonna set you back.”

Keith Jones caught up with Charlie and Bill on the PHLY Flyers podcast just a few days later. When asked if perhaps the team is closer to contention than anticipated, Jones, relaxed and jovial as always, didn’t bite.

“They do catch ya. There’s no doubt. The Dallas game is an example of everything going right…but that’s one game. So having to consistently play that way to beat the powerhouse teams in our league is a challenge. So that’s something that we really have to look at [as] a big picture, step away from the trees, and really dig into it.”

Finally, it was Briere’s turn at his scheduled mid-season presser .

“The one thing that I won’t be doing is, I won’t be trading prime assets just to make a run. Not going to trade, you know, first, second-round picks. ... So if there’s a hockey trade that we feel makes us better down the road, but we’re not going to trade assets just to make a playoff run.”

On one hand, it’s not much to ask for the organization to be aligned on critical issues and decisions. Nor is it groundbreaking that they recognize where the team stands, despite some evidence to the contrary. But recall back to the 2022 offseason, where the Flyers were coming off a lowly 25-46-11 record in the 2021-2022 campaign. Then-GM Chuck Fletcher dumbfoundingly traded valuable draft capital (2 nd , 3 rd , and 4 th round picks) in exchange for Tony DeAngelo. Fletcher mortgaged the future in a win-now move for a team not even sniffing contention. It was ultimately a failed attempt to save his job, as DeAngelo fell out of favor with Tortorella and was bought out just a year after signing.

That move, among others, stood in stark contrast to the feelings of the coach .

\"I feel very strongly that you just get stuck in the mud if you continue to put band-aids on and gimmicks to get people in the building and whatever it is. You get people in the building, and you get it right, by winning and the only way you can win is building it the proper way, and that\'s how we\'ll go about it.\"

DeAngelo was one of those band-aids. Coach and GM were not on the same page, and the discord was obvious. You just had to let the two of them speak and wait for the contradictions.

We’ve since turned the page on that chapter of the Flyers. At the alumni game this past weekend, Briere, Jones, and Hilferty stood behind the bench as honorary coaches. PA announcer Lou Nolan introduced them to enthusiastic applause from the 13,000 or so fans in attendance.

We’re still in the honeymoon phase with this new management group, and two-thirds of it includes beloved former Flyers, but it’s hard to imagine Chuck Fletcher and Dave Scott ever getting that kind of reception.

Transparency and cohesion go a long way.

Talking Points