Fletcher fired as Flyers GM, replaced by Briere

The Flyers (24-30-11) are seventh in the Metropolitan Division this season and have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once under Fletcher, who was named GM on Dec. 3, 2018 replacing Ron Hextall.

Daniel Briere will serve as interim GM while the Flyers begins the process of permanently filling two separate positions for president of hockey operations, and general manager.

“The Philadelphia Flyers organization has always been defined by grit, determination, and a standard of excellence,” Dave Scott, chairman of Comcast Spectacor and governor of the Flyers said in a statement. “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.

“This morning, we released Chuck Fletcher from his president and general manager responsibilities. We are grateful for his hard work and dedication to this organization, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward. Chuck faced significant challenges during his time as President and General Manager, including some that were outside of his control, but we have reached a point at which we must move in a different direction and look to the future under new leadership.

“Flyers fans deserve a better team than what they’ve seen on the ice over the past few seasons, and a clear plan to return this team to Stanley Cup contention. We know that this will be a multi-year process, and we are committed to doing it right, because we want to put this franchise on a path toward winning the Stanley Cup, period.”

Fletcher spoke prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3 on what Philadelphia’s plan was moving forward.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with Dave and spent a lot of time with him this weekend,” Fletcher said on Feb. 28. “I think we all recognize where we’re at. We’re not making the playoffs this year. I can throw out numbers all day but on a points percentage basis we’re fifth most improved team in the league. Clearly that’s nice but we’re still not good enough. We want to get younger and we want to continue to get better. It’s not easy to do but we’re going to work hard at it.”

Briere, 45, who was named special assistant to the GM midway through last season, played 973 NHL games during 17 NHL seasons, including with the Flyers from 2007-13.

“As interim general manager, Danny Briere will oversee Hockey Operations,” Scott said. “He is ideally suited for this role, having served as special assistant to the general manager of the Flyers for the past year in addition to his more than 25 years in professional hockey as a player and in management. He will ensure a smooth transition following Chuck’s departure and support the team and head coach John Tortorella through the remainder of the season and into the offseason.”