Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones and governor Dan Hilferty opened their Wednesday press conference with a message that was at once familiar and subtly different: patience, growth, and steady building remain the organizational pillars, but now there’s a growing sense that the foundation is starting to solidify.

Jones and Hilferty met with reporters before the first day of camp, outlining where the Flyers stand entering the 2025–26 season. Both men spoke less about playoff mandates or quick fixes and more about steady progress—yet there was a notable undertone of optimism, the feeling that the heavy lifting of the early rebuild may finally be paying off.

Patience as a Plan, Not a Slogan

“This rebuild is about a patient approach—growing through the draft, making sure we don’t jump ahead of ourselves, that we get our cap space in a good place,” Hilferty told media. “This patient approach is working.”

That word—patience—has echoed throughout the Flyers’ leadership since Hilferty and Jones assumed their roles, but Wednesday’s press conference sharpened the context. This isn’t patience for patience’s sake. It’s patience with purpose.

“How I define [a] successful year is not necessarily playoffs—although that would be great—but just [to] see improvement throughout the year in our younger players and [have] that competitive edge continue to grow,” Hilferty said.

The Flyers’ brass made clear that while winning obviously matters, development and sustainable growth remain the true north. A rash of short-sighted decisions defined the Flyers in years past; today’s leadership is determined not to repeat those mistakes.

Jones: “It Feels a Little Different”

Jones, who spent much of the early rebuild helping GM Danny Brière clear cap space and retool the roster, struck a more upbeat tone than in years past.

“I’m really excited to get things started this year,” he told reporters. “It feels a little different than the past two years. We’re starting to progress, our players are continuing to move forward and we’re doing everything we can to ensure that continues to happen.

"[I] feel really good about where Danny has the team now and for the future…and I also appreciate how honest Danny has been with [the media] in laying out the plan and sticking to it.”

That ever-evolving confidence reflects a roster that no longer feels stripped bare. Players like Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, Cam York, Sam Ersson, and Travis Sanheim were name-checked as the kinds of building blocks the organization expects to continue advancing.

“[The players] have done everything we’ve asked of them,” Jones added. “We’ve moved out a lot of their friends. We’ve taken away players at times when other teams are building to try to make a playoff run. We’ve continued to try and accumulate assets to try and help us in the future, and our top players have been really patient with that…We’re in a better position to move forward.”

Subtraction, Without Destruction

The Flyers’ willingness to sell at the trade deadline has been one of the defining features of the rebuild. But this year, Jones made a subtle clarification: the days of “giving away players to get future assets” are over.

Instead, the Flyers’ approach now centers on balance—subtracting when it makes sense, but not at the cost of undermining the locker room or derailing momentum.

Jones even acknowledged that the organization has evolved in how it handles players’ ups and downs. A couple of years ago, he admitted, Cam York’s inconsistent 2024–25 season would have tested the front office’s patience. Under this leadership, the Flyers are determined to take the long view.

“We’re going to continue to grind away and try to get it right,” Jones told media. That “grind,” in his telling, includes supporting young players through rough patches instead of abandoning them at the first sign of regression.

Communication and Culture

Both Hilferty and Jones stressed that growth isn’t just about skill development—it’s about relationships.

Jones noted that the front office is “constantly” communicating with players, not only to reinforce expectations but also to maintain trust during a process that has required significant sacrifices. Trading away veterans and reshaping the roster has meant upheaval for the locker room, and Jones was candid about the debt the organization owes to players who have stayed committed through those changes.

No Carter Hart Update

Jones and Hilferty declined to comment on whether the Flyers intend to inquire about Carter Hart, rightfully choosing instead to keep the focus on the players actually on the team that are tasked with leading the Flyers forward.

Building, Not Chasing

If last year was about stripping down and bracing for growing pains, this year feels like an inflection point. Hilferty put it bluntly:

“We’re not about moving things out—we’re about growing now.”

That doesn’t mean the Flyers are banking on a playoff spot. But it does mean they’re looking to measure success in ways that extend beyond the standings: in how Michkov adjusts to Year 2, in whether Foerster and York solidify themselves as core contributors, in how the team sustains competitiveness night after night.

For a franchise that has long been impatient—sometimes to its detriment—this measured approach is both refreshing and uncharacteristic. And yet, if Jones and Hilferty’s tone on Thursday is any indication, it’s starting to bear fruit.