Daniel Brière General Manager Of Philadelphia Flyers, Just Announced His Departure

NJ’S VOORHEES (CBS/AP) At the Philadelphia Flyers’ planned midseason press conference on Wednesday at the team’s practice facility in Voorhees, New Jersey, general manager Danny Briere discussed Carter Hart’s leave of absence.

The Flyers are “informed,” according to Briere, of media stories regarding Hockey Canada’s 2018 sexual assault inquiry.

“The press reports from this morning regarding a very severe subject are known to us. When the investigation’s findings are made public, we will react suitably,” Briere stated. “The NHL has made it very apparent that teams have to direct any inquiries about investigations to them. Members of the organization, including the Flyers players, will refrain from making any more comments in the interim.”

Briere stated that he hasn’t communicated with Hart. He went on to say that there is no timetable for what comes next on the fliers.

CBS Philadelphia has contacted Hart’s attorney, Scott K. Fenton, and agency, Judd Moldaver, but we have not received a response.

When news broke in 2022 that Hockey Canada had settled a lawsuit with a woman who claimed she was sexually abused by eight players on that team at a gala in London, Ontario, police opened an inquiry.

In the nearly two years since these and other scandals surfaced, Hockey Canada has made significant adjustments in response to a critical independent study and lost key sponsors.In October 2022, Scott Smith, the CEO, was fired, and the board of directors also resigned over issues with Hockey Canada’s handling of sexual assault claims and compensation payments.

Five players from that team were requested to turn themselves in to police in the city midway between Toronto and Detroit in order to face allegations of sexual assault, according to a report published in The Globe and Mail on Wednesday.

When The Associated Press contacted a London Police representative, the official declined to corroborate the allegation. Sgt. Sandasha Bough stated on Wednesday, “We will share it with media outlets when there is an update to make.” In an announcement made on Wednesday, London Police stated that they will provide more information during a press conference on February 5th, “with regard to a sexual assault investigation that dates back to 2018.”

Two days after forward Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames said he was taking a leave of absence to devote to his mental health, Hart’s announcement was made.

The New Jersey Devils announced on Wednesday that Cal Foote and Michael McLeod had both been given an indefinite leave of absence.

The professional hockey team in Switzerland, HC Ambrì-Piotta, has given Alex Formenton an indefinite leave of absence. Formenton will go back to Canada, according to the team.

In 2018, Hart, Dube, McLeod, Foote, and Formenton were on Team Canada’s U-20 squad.

In 2022, the NHL commenced its inquiry and promised to release the results.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said there was nothing more he could say at this time, telling The Associated Press in an email on Wednesday that the league would make a comment when the time was right. Speaking at the June Stanley Cup Final, Daly stated that an independent investigator had finished his job and that the league would evaluate the report by midsummer.

“We have been communicating with the London police; we want to stay in touch with them, and we want to ensure that our procedure is transparent,” Daly stated on June 3. “And that would be the objective, to the degree that we can comprehend what theirs is. I’m not able to predict what will happen next.”

In Hart’s absence, Briere stated on Wednesday that the Flyers will depend on goalies Samuel Ersson and Cal Petersen.

“I can assure you that Sam Ersson has performed incredibly well,” Briere stated. “Is entitled to more ice time? Our goaltending has us thrilled, especially with Sam’s recent performance.”

It’s crucial to remember that Briere’s speech was previously planned before Tuesday’s Hart announcement. While Briere was available for the midseason, he also talked about the Flyers’ situation.

It was not immediately apparent when or if the NHL would make public the results of its investigation or what penalties any implicated players may face. The identities of the three other players who were allegedly involved were also unclear.

In the nearly two years since these and other scandals surfaced, Hockey Canada has made significant adjustments in response to a critical independent study and lost key sponsors.In October 2022, Scott Smith, the CEO, was fired, and the board of directors also resigned over Hockey Canada’s handling of sexual assault claims and settlement payments.

Nike and other sponsors temporarily halted their relationship with the organization last year due to strong criticism directed at Hockey Canada’s leadership.

Despite being in the midst of an open rebuild, the Flyers have exceeded expectations. With a record of 25-17-6, the orange and black are in second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers would be in the playoffs if the season ended tonight.Philadelphia, which has now lost three games in a row, was defeated 6-3 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

The last time Briere spoke was early January, following the Flyers’ shocking trade of 2022 fifth-overall pick Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for 21-year-old defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round selection, shocking the hockey world.

The general manager of the Flyers stated that Gauthier asked to be traded and declined to sign, train, or even speak with the team.

“It took a while to arrive,” Briere stated in early January. It has been ongoing for some time. We did our best to give him room. We made numerous attempts to contact him. He refused to talk, so we eventually had to decide. In light of the events of the previous several days, we reasoned that now was probably the best time to obtain the most value.”

Tuesday night was Drysdale’s debut goal. In his six games with the organization, he has three points.

Briere talked about the Flyers’ trade deadline plans, John Tortorella, and Drysdale. The entire news conference is available to view on our YouTube page.