The shake up of the Philadelphia Flyers front office continues. First, Daniel Briere was named general manager. Then Briere hired Keith Jones to be the president of hockey operations. The other day, Patrick Sharp was hired as an advisor to Briere. Today, another former Flyer has joined the team management. This time, it is former Flyer great John LeClair. He, just like Sharp, has just been named as a Special Advisor to Hockey Operations.
Essentially, it is the same position as Sharp. Both Sharp and LeClair will work with Briere on how to improve the team with a focus on the development of their younger players.
OFFICIAL: We have named John LeClair to the position of Special Advisor to Hockey Operations. https://t.co/ReyV1q97py
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 15, 2023
On the hiring, Jones said in a press release:
"“Adding in John LeClair to work in conjunction with Patrick Sharp and the rest of our hockey operations group will be a powerful combination with their vast hockey knowledge and a ‘team-first’ mentality. John has been around the NHL and the game for a long time and knows what it takes to bring the core ethics of our foundation to the Philadelphia Flyers.”"
Briere echoed these sentiments.
"“We have another great addition to our hockey operations team in John LeClair. John’s hockey resume speaks for itself. His passion for the city of Philadelphia along with his strong leadership skills will be a key component to building our team back into its winning ways.”"
LeClair came to the Flyers in 1994 from the Montreal Canadiens after they had won the Stanley Cup. He was traded with Eric Desjardins for Mark Recchi. He was put on a line with Flyers captain Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg. The trio became known as the Legion of Doom and cut a swath against NHL defenses for the next several years. LeClair would crack the 50 goal mark three years in a row and would become one of the best left wingers in the game in the 1990s in what would become a borderline Hall of Fame career. He would play 10 years in Philly and score 333 goals with 310 assists. Overall, he scored 406 goals with 819 point in 967 games.
Some will say that this is just another example of the Flyers doing the “Flyers thing” and hiring former players into key roles. But if you look at the hirings of Sharp and LeClair, there are four Stanley Cup rings right there. Both players have resumes worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Both have played with several Hall of Fame players or future Hall of Famers. That is a lot of talent right there with a lot of hockey knowledge.
LeClair’s addition, when combined with Sharp, brings a lot of experience to this organization. True, LeClair’s only hockey management experience has been coaching the 3ICE three-on-three team in a summer league. Still, he brings a wealth of experience to the Philadelphia Flyers. He will be a great asset as Jones and Briere try to build a new winning culture here.