Archive: Briere's Development As An NHL GM Began With Early Off-Ice Career As Flyers Exec

The Philadelphia Flyers have been one of the more surprising NHL teams this season, putting themselves in the playoff picture and also being a mover-and-shaker at the trade deadline. And in this feature article from THN’s December 25, 2023 edition – Vol. 77, Issue 10 – THN publisher W. Graeme Roustan interviewed Briere regarding his job as Flyers GM.

(And don’t forget, you can get full access to THN’s exclusive archive by signing up for a subscription.)

In this excerpt from Roustan’s interview with Briere, he asked Briere about his close ties to the Flyers franchise as an executive, but originally, as a player.

“I knew I was coming back here,” Briere said of his return to Philadelphia. “I had a great relationship with Paul Holmgren and he invited me to come back slowly to the organization. But Ron Hextall had his group on the hockey side, and they had everything they needed. So there wasn’t much room for me. Paul gave me the chance to follow him and learn what he was going through as a team president, which was a lot more heavily invested on the business side. So it gave me the green light to come and do as much or as little as I was interested in doing, and spend time with a lot of different departments throughout the organization.”

As the Flyers struggled under GM Chuck Fletcher, Briere continued his acclimation as an executive with the team. Slowly but surely, Briere earned the confidence of Flyers ownership and management, and in May of 2023, he was officially named Flyers GM. The process was quick, but the same work ethic that made Briere an on-ice star now put him in the architect role with Philly.

“It happened fast,” Briere said. “I was here in the Philadelphia area, and started helping out during the pandemic. The team would be on the road and I started running some practices for some of the players and I enjoyed getting to re-involve myself with the team. And then I felt there’s something I could give back to some of the players having gone through the ups and downs. Not always having it easy, sometimes clearing waivers, playing in the minors and keep fighting and fighting (for an NHL job), I felt I could share some of that stuff with the players.

“And then all of a sudden, (former Flyers GM) Chuck Fletcher asked me if I’d be interested in being involved with player development. So I started doing some of that. And then a few months later, they asked me if I wanted to start travelling and do some scouting. That was exciting. Now you’re looking at the draft and what you see in certain players and projecting what they might become down the road. That was exciting. I love that part. Then they offered me to be an assistant to the GM and I learned a lot from Chuck in the last year-and-a-half. And then the team kind of struggled last year, and I got a call one day asking me if I’d be interested in taking the big seat. Like I said, it all happened a lot faster than I expected. But I felt ready. I was at first humbled and then really honored to be the next GM of the Flyers.”

By W. Graeme Roustan

December 25, 2023

W. GRAEME ROUSTAN: Danny, let’s go back in time, all the way back to Quebec. Let’s go back to little Danny playing peewee hockey and stuff like that. Where do you come from? And how did you get here?

DANIEL BRIERE: I grew up in Gatineau, Quebec, and played minor hockey there until I was 13 and left for Amos, Quebec, to play midget AAA. At 14, I left home, then came back the following year to play another year in my hometown and then was drafted into the QMJHL by Drummondville and spent three years there.

In my second year, I was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes, late in the first round, which was really exciting that I would go in the first round with my size at the time and the way the game was being played. So I went back for another year of junior hockey and turned pro after that and played my first full year in the AHL, and then bounced around for another three years between the AHL and Phoenix.

WGR: And then you went on to a great NHL career, and after that you got into the business side of the game, moving into the front office. What was it like to transition from being a player to the GM?

DB: It was many years that I played for the Flyers, so I knew I was coming back here. I had a great relationship with Paul Holmgren and he invited me to come back slowly to the organization. But Ron Hextall had his group on the hockey side, and they had everything they needed. So there wasn’t much room for me. Paul gave me the chance to follow him and learn what he was going through as a team president, which was a lot more heavily invested on the business side. So it gave me the green light to come and do as much or as little as I was interested in doing, and spend time with a lot of different departments throughout the organization.

I did that for a couple of years and then the organization bought an ECHL franchise and they came to me and asked me if I had any interest in running it. I thought it was exciting and it gave me the chance to stay in hockey. I started traveling between Philadelphia and Portland, Maine, a few times a month and just fell in love with everything that it entailed. I got to learn about corporate sales, ticket sales, marketing, social media, game presentation, all that stuff. Obviously, not a lot of resources, it’s not like we had a big staff, so you’re constantly doing four, five, six different tasks just for the team to survive. So it was hands-on and a great experience. I did that for five or six years. I loved every moment and the people that I got to work with and learn from were amazing.

WGR: And now today you’re the GM of the Flyers. How did that happen?

DB: It happened fast. I was here in the Philadelphia area, and started helping out during the pandemic. The team would be on the road and I started running some practices for some of the players and I enjoyed getting to re-involve myself with the team. And then I felt there’s something I could give back to some of the players having gone through the ups and downs. Not always having it easy, sometimes clearing waivers, playing in the minors and keep fighting and fighting (for an NHL job), I felt I could share some of that stuff with the players. 

And then all of a sudden, (former Flyers GM) Chuck Fletcher asked me if I’d be interested in being involved with player development. So I started doing some of that. And then a few months later, they asked me if I wanted to start travelling and do some scouting. That was exciting. Now you’re looking at the draft and what you see in certain players and projecting what they might become down the road. That was exciting. I love that part. Then they offered me to be an assistant to the GM and I learned a lot from Chuck in the last year-and-a-half. And then the team kind of struggled last year, and I got a call one day asking me if I’d be interested in taking the big seat. Like I said, it all happened a lot faster than I expected. But I felt ready. I was at first humbled and then really honored to be the next GM of the Flyers.

Watch the full interview online at TheHockeyNews.com/P2P

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