Flyers Governor and Chairman & CEO of Comcast Spectacor, Dan Hilferty, and President of Hockey Operations, Keith Jones, met with the media today. Hilferty and Jones debriefed how they felt the first “New Era of Orange” went.
In his opening remarks, Hilferty expressed his pride in the Flyers organization for their exceptional work in the past season. He emphasized, “Our first year was dedicated to creating an environment, a culture, where we demand nothing less than the best.”
Hilferty further stated, “We are committed to fostering an environment where players, coaches, and management all strive for excellence. This commitment will persist.” He also commended the effective collaboration of Jones, Danny Briere, and John Tortorella, expressing his excitement for what’s ahead.
Jones talked about the Flyers’ progress but stated, “We [Flyers] still have a long way to go. We are keeping an eye on that prize, but it does start within, and there’s been a lot of progress made on the team coming together. The players enjoy playing here again. If we’re in a position to go out and get a premier player through free agency, this is going to be a destination they will want to come to.”
Jones was clear that the Flyers are taking all the proper steps to become a competitive team again. Jones mentioned getting rid of contracts that hurt the Flyers’ cap space.
Another strong statement Jones made was about the players feeling comfortable on the business side, which you rarely hear in the NHL. “Are players need to feel like they’re not just playing hockey, they’re playing for an organization, they’re playing for the Philadelphia Flyers,” Jones stated.
While the Flyers are still tied up with the cap space, Jones mentioned how the Flyers are in a good position with the draft for this year and next year with multiple first-round picks. “We’re going to have some real key decisions to make. We have to get them right. There’s no room for error on whatever players we add to the mix,” Jones made very clear. The Flyers are approaching year two of “The New Era of Orange,” Jones knows how important this truly is for the team’s future.
During the deadline, the Flyers traded defenseman Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche for a first-round draft pick. Jones and Hilferty made it clear that this was the right decision, and they stand by it since this is a significant draft.
Another player that Flyers fans want to know about is Matvei Michkov. The Flyers selected Michkov with their 7th overall pick in last year’s NHL Entry Draft. Recently, there have been rumors about the forward coming over as early as this season.
“It doesn’t affect it (the timeline) we drafted him. The expectation was that he would finish his contract with SKA, and we would listen to and read many of your articles and follow along. We have no update on it. We would welcome him with open arms. We absolutely love what he is going to bring to the Flyers. If the timeline is sped up, that would be wonderful.” Jones shared.
Overall, while the results of the Flyer’s season with missing the playoffs were disappointing after exceeding expectations, it’s clear that Hilferty and Jones are incredibly proud of the team and what’s to come.
