Ray Shero to the Flyers? It’s Not Out of the Question

Would Ray Shero, whose father, Fred, famously coached the Philadelphia Flyers to Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, be interested in becoming the franchise’s general manager or president of hockey operations?

Time will tell.

The Flyers are now searching for a GM and president of hockey operations, positions that were both held by Chuck Fletcher. Fletcher was fired Friday, and the Flyers said they will hire two people to handle those positions.

For the time being, Danny Briere is the interim general manager. He is the leading candidate to hold that job permanently. Shero would be capable of holding either position.

Shero, 60, a close friend of Fletcher’s, certainly has the pedigree. Before Fletcher was hired by the Flyers in 2018, he worked as an adviser for Shero, then the Devils’ general manager.

Fletcher had been an assistant general manager under Shero in Pittsburgh when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009.

Assisting the Wild

Shero, who attended Camden Catholic High, is now a senior adviser with the Minnesota Wild (37-21-7). He is assisting GM Bill Guerin, who played for and worked under Shero in Pittsburgh.

In his career, Shero was general manager of New Jersey for four-plus seasons, and he was the Penguins’ successful GM for eight years. He was also an assistant general manager with Ottawa and Nashville.

The Penguins fired Shero three days after their 2014 playoff elimination, a seven-game loss to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Pittsburgh blew a 3-1 series lead.

After winning the Cup in 2009, the Penguin advanced past the second round just once, and upper management didn’t think that was good enough. Shero’s Devils had one playoff appearance.

The Flyers have won one playoff series in the last 11 years, including this season.

Shero’s son, Kyle, is an amateur scout for the Flyers in the New England area, and another son, Chris, scouts for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ray Shero could not be reached for comment.