Philadelphia Flyers
UPDATED: Son of Flyers’ Interim GM in Wheelchair Incident at Bar
Carson Briere, whose father, Danny, was named the Philadelphia Flyers’ interim general manager last week, confirmed Wednesday he pushed a disabled student’s unoccupied wheelchair down the stairs at a bar Saturday.
A video of the incident has been viewed several million times on social media.
“I am deeply sorry for my behavior,” Carson Briere said in a statement. “There is no excuse for my actions, and I will do whatever I can to make up for the serious lack of judgement.”
Danny Briere said he was “shocked to see Carson’s actions in the video. … They are inexcusable and run completely counter to our family’s values of treating people with respect.”
Security footage showed the younger Briere, a student and hockey player at Mercyhurst University in Erie, knocked the wheelchair down the steps before walking back into the bar.
The wheelchair was at the top of the steps because its owner had to be carried downstairs to use the restroom, according to a report.
I usually don’t post anything serious on my twitter but something happened Saturday night and just can’t stomach the thought of this kid getting away with it. In the video below is a @MercyhurstU student and is currently on the @HurstMensHockey team. Carson Briere. pic.twitter.com/kWWlEYEc7V
— julia (@juliazukowski) March 14, 2023
The school said it was investigating the incident. In a statement, a spokesperson for Mercyhurst said it was aware of a “disturbing video in which one of our student-athletes is seen pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a flight of steps at a local establishment. Our Office of Student Conduct and Department of Police and Safety are investigating.”
Briere, 23, a junior who is majoring in communications, was previously dismissed from Arizona State’s hockey team for violation of team rules. In a story in College Hockey News in 2021, Briere said he did “too much partying.”
Three seasons at Mercyhurst
In high school, he played at St. Augustine Prep in South Jersey. Briere later played in the NAHL and BCHL, and he has spent three seasons at Mercyhurst. In 82 career games at the school, he has 23 goals and 59 points.
This season, he had five goals and 13 points in 30 games.
Danny Briere, 45, was named the Flyers’ interim general manager Friday, replacing the fired Chuck Fletcher. The players support him as the full-time GM.
Briere and his first wife, Sylvie, had three sons: Caelan, 24, an Alabama graduate; Carson; and Cameron, 21 a Southern Maine student who is the video coach for the Maine Mariners.
He and his second wife, Misha, have a son, Caiden, who turned one today.
“It’ been pretty cool diving back into it,” Briere said the other day about being a father again. He spoke before he knew about Carson’s incident. “It’s been a blessing. I experienced the first ones as a player, coming home completely exhausted, physically. So it’s pretty cool to have another chance and see him grow.
“It’s not that I’m there more often, but when I come home, I probably have a little bit more to give,” he said. “My work (now) is more intense mentally, but physically I feel better than when I played, and I’m not beat up when I get home.”
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Utterly disgraceful. But we have seen this before in Philadelphia with pro athletes/coaches putting their jobs ahead of raising their families. Andy Reid and his inability to raise his sons comes to mind when he was coaching the Eagles and hey both pulled guns on another driver in a road rage incident, one overdosed and died while at camp in Lehigh and other is now behind bars after almost killing a young girl in KC after he left the practice facility intoxicated. Now Briere’s son does this stupid act because, let’s face it, what are the consequences really going to be? His dad will settle out of court, hold on to his GM position with the Flyers and his son Carson will continue life as a rich kid who doesn’t have any responsibilities in life. And, knowing the dysfunction in the Flyers now, I am sure Carson will be working there within 3-years in some capacity.
In all honestly, Daniel Briere should step down as GM this week and utter the words, “I need to step away and work on my family at this time.” But as I said earlier, he will pay the fines, settle out of court and move forward with being the GM. Embarassing.
Utter disgrace and this from a lifelong Flyers fan.
Agree 110% –
Anyone else Daniel Briere’s statement where he says, “Carson is very apologetic for his actions…” Nothing like apologizing for your son who does not feel that way and you are only trying to keep your job.
Parents of priveledged kids should be held responsible and Daniel should be removed from his GM roles. The Flyers organization is a dumpster fire right now and this is just another example.
Look outside of former players and staff for all new hirings.
Finally, being a season ticket holder (now a former season ticket holder), not enough reports go out that Fletcher was fired one week after season ticket renewals were due and the Flyers were down at least 25-35%. Fletcher was the fall guy and the team needs a complete rehaul.
I would like to know the outrage. Was it the fact they tossed it down the stairs and caused a foreseeable risk to anyone using the stairs. Was it the insensitivity to the non-existent person who apparently rode a wheelchair up a flight of stairs and then left it on the landing? The alleged victim wants to remain anonymous but “Julia” started a go fund me under the name Nathaniel Sanders. I smell a grift.
Just to inform you… the outrage is based on destroying the medical equipment for a physically disabled person. Whether the need of such a device was temporary or permanent, it is beyond reckless. There…. There is the outrage, you jerk
Kudos to Sam for posting this. I’ve often been critical of Sam’s reporting. But now that Briere is in the public eye, like it or not, so is his entire family. Danny needs to make a comment.
He did make a comment. See the story. I added it about 15 minutes after it was originally posted.
Why are this kids hockey stats important for the story? Who cares how many goals he had? Why don’t we hear more about how he’s going to make amends for what he did at the bar? He was forced to make an apology.
Obviously, a thoughtless and disgraceful act and the timing couldn’t be worse for the Flyers. This organization just can’t get out of its own way.
This guy is 23 years old. He can make amends for his own issues. Anyone that has adult children on here, are YOU at fault for the decisions your kid makes as an adult?
In no way should Danny have ro step down from his position. Is this kid a problem child? Obviously he is but I never heard a thing about his other 2 children who seem to be thriving.
This isn’t Danny’s problem. The only people that make it Danny’s problem is the media posting this stuff and those who have issues with people on celebrity status.
I say this kid owes the person who owned the wheelchair of there is damaged. If not he’s just an jerk and if it wasn’t done on school property then he’s just an idiot who needs some kind of counseling because he’s just an entitled idiot. I mean good lord he didn’t physically hurt anyone. Bunch of snowflakes