Today was a rather eventful day during the doldrums of summer, because John LeClair and Patrick Sharp addressed the media virtually and talked a little more about their newfound roles and what they plan on achieving in Philadelphia during the foreseeable future.
LeClair and Sharp are excited about the prospect of working for their former club and have a keen sense and eye towards the present and future as members of the Player Development department.
LeClair is a member of the Flyers Hall of Fame, and for good reason, as he scored 333 goals and 643 points in 649 games across 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He scored 50+ goals in 3 consecutive seasons, registered 90 points in 3 different seasons, and was apart of three different postseason runs that went into the Eastern Conference Finals. He knows a thing or two about winning and the “Philadelphia culture”.
Sharp might not have spent too long in Philadelphia, but he had a relatively successful AHL career to start things off and then went on to win 3 Stanley Cups in Chicago. He spent parts of 3 seasons going back and forth between the NHL and AHL, but he helped the Philadelphia Phantoms capture a Calder Trophy in 2005. He scored 23 goals and 52 points during the season and then added 8 goals and 21 points in the playoffs. Unfortunately, newly-recognized member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Ken Hitchcock, wanted no part of him and he was dealt to Chicago.
That term, “Philadelphia culture”, might resonate as the prehistoric diatribe that has plagued this organization for decades. However, the key component behind all of these recent hirings, is that Keith Jones and Daniel Brière are trying to a build a culture of their own for the front office. John Tortorella instilled an identity on the ice last season and now the new President and General Manager are trying to find people who understand Philadelphia hockey better than anyone else.
The lack of experience could be seen as a negative, however every front office executive has to start somewhere and what better place than the rebuilding Flyers.
LeClair said in response to former players returning to the club:
“I think the biggest thing that drives that is the culture. I think the former guys that have been here and lived it understand the culture.
“That’s one thing we talked about is that we gotten away from a little bit of that and we want to get back to the Flyer culture that we had.”
What exactly is the “Flyer culture”, LeClair explained:
“That was winning seasons. It didn’t bring us Cups but we’re gonna get to that next step. But that’s what we want to do, get over that final threshold and get to the Cup and win the Cup.
“It seems like it’s gone a little bit away from the culture that we had. That excitement in the building. Just that family feel that we had back when the Flyers were one of the top teams in the NHL. That’s what we want to get back to in a big way.”
Can anyone disagree with what he said? Maybe there isn’t enough substance to go off of but LeClair has followed the happenings of the Flyers over the last few years and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the culture disappeared, the identity was either stolen or lost, and the front office executives cared more about the business side of things than the on-ice product – and subsequently what the fans were clamouring for.
When it comes to the player development side of things, Patrick Sharp will be extremely hands-on:
“I believe every winning team starts with a great culture, a great core group of players and a strong development system. That’s what I’m excited to work with here in Philadelphia is helping some our young prospects take that next step and be great Flyers down the road.”
Sharp mentioned how his time with the Philadelphia Phantoms set the tone for what was to come in the NHL and set the stage for the type of player he was going to become. He was extremely grateful for the experience and never seemed to forget about the city of Philadelphia all throughout his career.
He also mentioned how the Calder Cup run in 2005 is going to be a stepping stone with how to relate to the prospects in the minors. He can connect with them on a player-to-player level and explain his experiences as they look to make a run of their own next season.
As for LeClair, he was rather blunt about what he’s seen transpire in recent seasons:
“I think it’s a big focus of the organization. Things aren’t good enough right now. We’re not where we want to be and we need to get better. And to get better we’re gonna need maybe some fresh legs and faces to get in there and do that.
“We have some pretty good talent that we can develop and that’s what we want to do. We want to get the most out of those guys for them and for us.”
Elaborating on what his (LeClair) position will entail:
“I’m going to be another voice. It’s going to be everything from watching games, practices, checking on prospects down on the Phantoms. It’s going to be another set of eyes. I’ll be around the whole organization.
“Everybody is on the same page as far as what the goal is and how we want to go about doing it. It’s going to be a lot of personal knowledge of the kids, having that repertoire between kids so they talk to you, feel really comfortable, ask them anything about their game.
“Anything that’s bothering them, what they don’t feel right about their game, or they don’t understand the coach or the message that they’re trying to get. We want to make sure it’s a real open and friendly atmosphere that they feel real confident and feel secure talking to us about anything.
“These kids are going to learn a lot. That’s what the goal is. You want to get the most out of them. You want them to be the best they can be so they can get the most out of their career.
“If you have a kid who’s struggling, you don’t want to lose him. You want to make sure he stays with us and he doesn’t get too frustrated or get too upset with himself and try to get him back in the loop and keep that development going in an upward path.”
With a little more context on their new roles, the Philadelphia Flyers are excited about the present and the future with all the recent moves they’ve made in the front office. Things have changed – and hopefully for the better – and with the NHL draft coming up and rookie camp following suit, LeClair and Sharp are going to be relatively busy before the season kicks off in October.
2024 Stadium Series Trip
Flyers Nation and Philly Sports Trips have teamed up to bring you on an amazing bus trip to the 2024 NHL Stadium Series between the Flyers and Devils. Place an early deposit to reserve your spot at the ultimate tailgate experience at MetLife Stadium before the game. The package includes a game ticket, round-trip charter bus, an all-inclusive tailgate party with unlimited cold beverages, “Philly Style” catered food, live entertainment, and more.
