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John LeClair and Patrick Sharp Presser: "Things Aren't Good Enough Right Now, We Need Things To Get Better."


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Dylan Robillard
June 21, 2023  (1:53 PM)
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On Wednesday morning, both John LeClair and Patrick Sharp addressed the media on where the two stand in the Flyers front office.

John LeClair spoke very highly about the Flyers culture and that it is important to get back to those roots that originally built the Philadelphia Flyers.
LeClair's job will be a bit of everything, he will be another voice and set of eyes for GM Danny Briere.
LeClair mentioned the Flyers culture when speaking about why they have brought in former players rather than outside voices:
"I think the biggest thing that drives that is culture... we got away from that a bit we want to get back to that." Bringing back the culture into the Wells Fargo Center and Philadelphia as a whole. Right down broad street -- bring back that old Flyers hockey into the new era. «Hockey players today are different than hockey players when I played.»
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John LeClair realizes that things aren't well right now for the Flyers. He said they just aren't good enough, and he looks to improve player development moving forward. Which has been another big focus for the Philadelphia Flyers new front office since the beginning, especially from GM Danny Briere.
The Flyers front office has a great relationship especially with John LeClair and Keith Jones. A simple text of congratulations from LeClair to Keith Jones, led to LeClair being hired within the organization, a simple text, LeClair said.
John LeClair said that after Keith Jones was hired, he texted Jonesy to congratulate him. Shortly thereafter, Jones reached back out to him to ask if he'd have interest in maybe joining the organization to help out. Continued conversations led to the hire.
Nobody is saying it is necessarily a bad hire from the Flyers, but it seems weird that a front office already lacking experience brought in another guy because he texted one of them to congratulate him. I wonder if LeClair would've been on their radar had he not sent the text. An interesting thought brought up by Noah / Phylers24 on Twitter.
In Philadelphia a lot of things have been run single handedly and not really collectively, which Danny Briere wants to change and is doing well. Having members of his staff be more hands on and vocal. "It's gonna be one of those things that happen (being more hands on)... between the rookie camp in July and September, we will get a good feel on what guys need attention and which guys don't." LeClair said.
John Tortorella, John LeClair, and Danny Briere have all stressed that the Flyers will not be tanking. It is a bad look for the team and is frowned upon. "This rebuild doesn't mean we are tanking, we are here to win." LeClair mentioned in his presser.
Dan Silver writer for Phillyisflyer mentioned that LeClair's presser was pretty underwhelming to say the least, "Not that I was expecting much but that media avail with LeClair was pretty non-eventful and unimpressive. Generic answers about building culture and competing every night. Not sure he has any actual qualifications for an NHL front office gig other than playing in the NHL."
Patrick Sharp like Jon LeClair will be focusing in on player development as a Flyers advisor. He was in an advisory role with the University of Vermont beforehand. As well he developed with the Blackhawks; outside influence. He went on to contribute to three Stanley Cups in Chicago.
It sounds like that will be his primary job in the Flyers front office, but he may also help wherever he can; Sharp lives on the East coast and can easily travel to Lehigh Valley, also be in New England to keep tabs on prospects in the system playing there. He reiterated that player development and prospect development is expected to be a key component of his job
He said he grew as a player and person early on in Flyers' organization. Feels his experience can impact prospects in organization now. He is very thankful for the opportunities that he was given in the Flyers organization when he played, grinding it out in the AHL for the first three years of his playing career.
Patrick Sharp says that he expects to be involved with Riley Armstrong and the development staff at development camp right after the draft, starting of the month of July working with prospects. Even though it hasn't been officially announced yet, it's clearly happening in early July.
Both Sharp and LeClair are excited to start their new roles officially after the draft and meet the Flyers young guns and see the new crop of players coming into the organization.

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