"Liftoff" Chapter Two Recap: No Shortcuts

The second installment of the "Liftoff" docuseries on the Flyers YouTube channel focuses on the core beliefs that the organization's new president of hockey operations, Keith Jones, and new general manager Danny Briere believe are vital to a successful rebuild.

Jones spells it out at the very beginning of Episode 2 while speaking to Anthony Gargano of 97.5 The Fanatic:

"We recognize what it means to play in this city -- no matter what the sport is -- and to appreciate all the other teams as well, but to make sure you don't lose your spot. And we lost our spot," Jones said.

"So we've got a lot of work to do to make sure we regain the trust of our fanbase and to make sure they understand there is no shortcut. There's a responsibility to give the message to your fans on what you're doing."

Jones,worked in local talk radio as well as hockey broadcasting for most of his post-playing career before becoming the Flyers' POHO. Along with directly being part of the rebuild process, he said that one of his main motivations for accepting the opportunity to accept the post was to make sure that the messaging behind the rebuild process is conveyed to fans clearly and transparently.

The key takeaway, according to Jones: Seeing the process through properly will require diligence, teamwork and a long-game approach. To ask for -- and receive --patience from the fans requires honesty, and leadership that is legitimately excited to undertake the process and takes pride specifically in doing it as Flyers.Ultimately, though, the proof will be in the doing, not the talking,.

Later, Jones says that one overriding goal is for the Flyers to reestablish a true home ice advantage at the Wells Fargo Center; one where the building is raucous and filled every game with fans of the home team. Jones remembers how the atmosphere was back when he played against -- and then for -- the Flyers.

"You've seen it alive. We played in it when it was alive," Jones said. "There's a big difference, man. We had moments where it was alive this year. You got a little feel for it; a little teaser [18-18-5 home road]," Jones said.

Jones said that the process of simultaneously broadcasting and deciding to pursue the POHO opportunity with the Flyers was grueling. Now that he'd agreed to accept the post, Jones said, he was finally able to get a good night's sleep.

"I look forward to having this team in a position in the future where I can get a lot of good nights' sleep but it's going to be awhile," Jones said.

"I want our players to love playing here. I want people to know that they love playing here. I know when I flew in here for the first time when I was traded from Colorado, I looked around at the city as I was landing. I was so pleased that I was going to play for the Philadelphia Flyers. That's where we need to get this back to. That's a message I think everybody here needs to be aware of. If you do your job well, you're going to be here."

The focus then shifts to Briere. A gentleman off the ice, Briere was a fearsome competitor in his playing days despite his slight frame and baby-faced appearance. Opponents learned the hard way not to underestimate him. Briere was impervious to pressure. The bigger the stakes, the more Briere relished the challenge.

Those traits have not changed since Briere shifted to the management side of the sport, head coach John Tortorella opined.

"He looks like a young boy to me. But he has a fire about him in trying to get it right. He has some Philly blood in him, [having] played here. I think he's going to be a true leader in how he presents himself. He has a belief in how this should be done. I think that's huge as we start this," Tortorella said.

As interim GM, Briere had essentially a dress rehearsal to having the "interim" tag removed and being officially named to the GM post. He conducted himself with same self-confidence he brought as a player.

"It's a cool moment when you're told it's official. It's your turn," Briere said. "I've been bleeding orange for a long time. I'm excited that I have I say in the future of how this team is going to look."

Briere said that he's already had numerous conversations about their perspective on the state of the organization and their views on what needs to happen moving forward. The GM said that it's very much a shared vision. As with Briere, Jones chose to make the Delaware Valley his permanent residence.
"He's a terrific human being, number one," Jones said of Briere. "He's an incredibly smart hockey man. He chose to play for the Philadelphia Flyers when he was a free agent [in 2007, when the team was coming off the worst season in franchise history], and he has not left. That means a lot. This is a player who understands the community, knows the fan base, knows the game and has a deep respect for the game."