After four years with the keys, the Philadelphia Flyers have taken them away and fired their general manager, Chuck Fletcher.
The move comes with the Flyers currently sitting in the seventh spot in the Metropolitan Division, 15 points from the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed.
Philadelphia hired Fletcher back in 2018, and during his tenure, the Flyers saw one run in the postseason, two searches for a head coach, as well as a dead-last finish in the Metropolitan last season.
Former Flyers player Danny Brière, who also played for four other NHL teams, was named the interim general manager.
OFFICIAL: The Flyers have released Chuck Fletcher from his duties as President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. Daniel Brière, currently serving as Special Assistant to the General Manager, has been named Interim General Manager. https://t.co/xALLfVcFnh
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 10, 2023
Flyers governor and Comcast Spectacor chairman Dave Scott issued a statement Friday:
“The Philadelphia Flyers organization has always been defined by grit, determination, and a standard of excellence. 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,” he went on to say. (RELATED: Miami Marlins Add Yuli Gurriel And José Iglesias In Free Agency Just Before Start Of The Season)
“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,” Scott said.
The firing comes a week after Fletcher failed to move James van Riemsdyk and his expiring contract at the NHL’s trade deadline.