VOORHEES, N.J. — It probably goes without saying that the Flyers' head coaching decision is a monstrous one for general manager Danny Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones.
It's their first hire and, good or bad, it could define their rebuild.
After Briere fired John Tortorella with nine games left in the season, the voice behind the bench jumped to the top of the GM's offseason objectives.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE "There's no doubt that the coaching search will be an important one," Briere said Saturday, two days after the Flyers' 2024-25 campaign came to a close with 49 losses.
At his end-of-the-season press conference, Briere did not have a timeline for when the Flyers would like to name a head coach. They moved on from Tortorella a little over three weeks ago and the season just ended Thursday night, so the Flyers have yet to conduct any interviews.
What qualities will Briere want in his coach?
"I always believed communication is important, so that's going to be something we look into," Briere said. "Someone that can come in and teach will be an important one, as well. Communication and teaching are probably two things that will be at the forefront of our next coach. When you have a young team in place, I really think those two attributes are extremely important."
Philadelphia Flyers
Find the latest Philadelphia Flyers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Philadelphia.
With Tortorella, the Flyers had a no-nonsense, pedigree-laden coach. He was summoned in 2022 to rebuild the Flyers' standard after the team endured a disastrous, 57-loss season, one of the worst in franchise history.
With identifying the next coach, it sounds like the Flyers are open to casting a wide net. They could keep a close eye on the playoffs to see if any experienced names or top assistants become available. Non-playoff teams are moving on from coaches this time of year, which will have the Flyers' attention. Briere also didn't rule out the college route. Denver's David Carle, Western Michigan's Pat Ferschweiler and Providence's Nate Leaman are just a few well-known names.
"We want to not just interview older guys or younger guys, I would like to consider different coaches, different point of views and then, as a group, we'll make a decision on who makes more sense for us," Briere said. ... "I really like what Torts did, to be honest, the last few years with this group. He made them accountable, he was hard, but he demanded a lot.
"The accountability part really I think is going to leave something good for the next coach that comes into place. And now it's finding a coach that can take it to another level, but at the same time, maybe give a little bit more freedom to the players to try things and to let their talent come out."
Brad Shaw will be a candidate for the job after going 5-3-1 in Tortorella's stead. While it's an uphill battle for any interim head coach to land the full-time gig, Briere felt the Flyers played "a little freer" under Shaw. The club scored 3.89 goals per game but gave up 3.56.
The 60-year-old is a players' coach who has done good work with the Flyers' defensemen and penalty kill over the last three seasons. He'd be interested in returning with his assistant role, as well.
"I've got three years invested in this defense core, a lot of the main players I feel I have good relationships with," Shaw said Friday. "From that point of view, that continuity has a big value. I've enjoyed my time here, I've enjoyed how I've been treated and how my family has been treated. It has been fantastic. I would definitely consider that."
The Flyers operated like a rebuilding team particularly down the stretch after trading five players in the span of five weeks. Shaw believes the club is closer to taking the next step than what its 33-39-10 record may indicate.
"We need to get better in every aspect — special teams have to get better, goaltending has to get better, our defense core has to get better, our forwards have to get better," he said. "Some of that's going to be from within, from growing, and some of it's got to be from the outside. How the upper management has that plan and how they piece all that together, that's up to them. I just know that I don't feel far away as the coach, as you work with this group."
In 2025-26, the Flyers could have an even younger team, surrounded by some veteran pieces. The Flyers must figure out what type of coach best fits their goal of eventually turning the corner.
"We have a great group and I think a group that works really hard, listens well, wants to improve, wants to do all those things," Garnet Hathaway said Friday. "I'd want to coach us. I think we're a group that would attract someone who would be knowing what they're getting and also have the opportunity to implement their own style and kind of how they see us taking a different step potentially."