As a player, Daniel Briere did his best work whenever the playoffs rolled around.
As the Flyers new special assistant general manager, Briere will try to help the team just make it to the playoffs.
On Tuesday, the Flyers announced they have named Briere to the new position, working directly for president of hockey operations/general manager Chuck Fletcher.
Through a statement issued by the Flyers, Briere expressed great anticipation for the new opportunity.
“I’m excited for this new opportunity to join the Flyers hockey operations department,” said Briere. “Philadelphia is a place that I’ve called home for a long time and have had some of the most memorable moments in my career. I want to thank Chuck Fletcher and (team governor) Dave Scott for their confidence and support over the last several years, and I look forward to helping them continue to build a successful team on and off the ice.”
Briere, 44, has already gained some valuable management experience over the past five years serving as president and governor of the ECHL Maine Mariners.
In addition to his duties with Maine, he has worked in the Flyers player development department for the last two seasons in a part-time role working with the club’s prospects, as well as current players, both on and off the ice. He also spent two seasons in the Flyers front office business operations prior to joining the Mariners.
“I’m very happy to add Danny to our hockey operations team in a full-time role,” said Fletcher. “His insight and experience from 25 years in professional hockey, as well as first-hand knowledge of the Philadelphia Flyers, is a valuable asset for our organization and I look forward to working closely with him on a day-to-day basis.”
Scott knows how much Briere means to the Flyers organization.
“On and off the ice, Danny has been an incredible representative of the Philadelphia Flyers for more than a decade, and I’m thrilled to have him join our hockey operations department full time in this new role,” said Flyers Governor Dave Scott.
The Flyers say Briere will be involved in all aspects of the club’s hockey operations including scouting and player development.
Briere spent six seasons as a member of the Flyers after he signed an eight-year contract as a free agent on July 1, 2007. He recorded 124 goals and 159 assists for 283 points in 364 regular season games.
He is also known as one of the Flyers all-time best playoff performers with over a point-per-game pace with 72 points (37 goals/35 assists) in 68 Stanley Cup Playoff games. His 1.06 playoff points per-game are third in Flyers history among players who have played 10 or more games, and he ranks second in franchise history for the most game-winning goals in the playoffs (9), one behind Rick MacLeish (10).
In 2009-10, Briere led the Flyers during their run to the Stanley Cup Final. He led all players in the postseason with 30 points (12 goals/18 assists) in 23 games, which also set a new franchise record for most points in a single postseason.
Briere’s first year with the Flyers was the 2007-08 season in which he led the team in goals (31) and ranked second in points (71) in 79 regular season games. The team had one of the most impressive bounce back seasons in National Hockey League history with the club posting a 42-29-11 record for 95 points and reached the Eastern Conference Finals after finishing last in the NHL the previous season (2006-07) with a 22-48-12 record for 56 points. Briere also led the team in playoff scoring with 16 points (9 goals/seven assists) in 17 games.
Selected in the first round (24th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes, Briere spent 17 years in the NHL where he recorded 307 goals and 389 assists for 696 points in 973 regular season games with the Phoenix Coyotes (1997-98 to 2002-03), Buffalo Sabres (2002-03 to 2006-07), Flyers (2007-08 to 2012-13), Montreal Canadiens (2013-14) and Colorado Avalanche (2014-15).
Throughout his entire postseason career, Briere has posted 116 points (53 goals/63 assists) in 124 Stanley Cup playoff games and has appeared in one Stanley Cup Final (2010) and four Conference Finals. He is a two-time NHL All-Star (2007 & 2011) and was named MVP of the All-Star Game in Dallas.
Internationally, he has represented Canada on several occasions and helped them win a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Junior Championships and back-to-back gold medals at the 2003 & 2004 IIHF World Hockey Championships.
Briere announced his retirement from the NHL on Aug. 17, 2015.
