There’s been no shortage of praise for how the Philadelphia Flyers rebuilt at an organizational level this offseason, and that’s only continued through the start of rookie camp. Some such changes include the hiring of Keith Jones as the President of Hockey Operations on May 11, and on the same day, the permanent promotion of Danny Briere to General Manager. And, Dany Heatley was recently brought into the fold as a pro scout.
On a smaller scale, the Flyers are switching back to having the double logo at center ice, and that change has not gone unnoticed. Many fans seem elated that the logos are returning, and others, such as former Colorado Avalanche defenseman Colby Cohen, think this is a small step that will end up going a long way.
Cohen took to Twitter (or X) early Thursday morning to share his thoughts on the new ice, affected by “the Keith Jones effect”.
"This may seem like a small thing but this is [100 percent] the Keith Jones effect. Jonsey gets it, and I know that sounds vague but he understands the tradition in Philadelphia and how important that is to people. The season may be rough but you now have a leader at the top of the organization that hears you and cares [about] what you have to say."
Longtime NHL referee Tim Peel chimed in in response to Cohen, largely agreeing with his sentiment:
"Completely agree Colby. The past few GMs and Execs forgot about the past and the great Flyer tradition. Jonsey is also going to make the alumni feel apart of it as well. He’s the perfect guy for this job. At the end of the day he cares about people."
And Peel hit the nail right on the head. Not too long after the exchange took place, the Flyers announced that former star and Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Recchi would be getting inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame on Jan. 27 prior to their game against the Boston Bruins.
Of course, the on-ice product means a lot, but rest assured Jones is taking care of that side of things too. Briere has had an excellent offseason injecting talent into the team’s prospect pipeline, and added reliable veteran leadership for the younger guys who are already in the building eager to learn and play.
This is just the very beginning of a new era of Flyers hockey, and all signs point to the team having the right guy leading the way. Jones carves the path, and the rest follow tightly behind.