CEO Hilferty Wants Flyers To Reconnect With Frustrated Fan Base

Dan Hilferty grew up a Flyers fan down the Shore. The team’s CEO is of the age to remember the Stanley Cups and the parades.

He remembers the sellout crowds at the Spectrum — night after night. He remembers the passion and adoration fans had for their Flyers. He remembers the best home-ice advantage in hockey.

He also has seen the deterioration of the fan base and heard their anger. He has seen tickets go for next to nothing on the secondary market. He has seen large swatches of empty seats on every level of the Wells Fargo Center.

Visiting fans come into Philadelphia and “take over” the building. Hilferty comes from a generation where that notion seemed impossible … and unbearable.

Now, Hilferty is in a position to enact change. As the hockey team rebuilds, part of his job is to restore the business end of the operation. Although the management team is missing Valerie Camillo, the Flyers’ president and CEO of Spectacor Sports & Entertainment, who left the company earlier this month.

Hilferty talked about the importance of reconnecting with fans at the New Era of Orange news conference.

 “A thing that is apparent to people I work with is I like being out there [in the public],” Hilferty said. “So, I’m going to be walking around the arena. I’m going to go to events.”

Connecting With Fans

Hilferty’s efforts might be necessary until the Flyers’ on-ice product is enough to get fans to return in droves. Capturing the fans is going to take a winning, spirited product. If you listen to Flyers management, that timeline isn’t as short as everybody would want.

When the Flyers play winning hockey, games become must-see events, either in person or on TV. When the Flyers play winning hockey, fans buy tickets. They buy jerseys, hats, all kinds of apparel, food and drink.

The parking lots are full and so are the seats in the lower level. If there are lean seasons ahead, the Flyers’ new management team has to aggressively market the team to a fan base, some of whom have become apathetic.

“If there’s one message that I want to send out … especially to our most loyal fans, is that you have my full attention,” general manager Daniel Briere said.

“It’s been an incredible honor to serve the last two months as the GM of the team, and the fact of the matter is that it’s only made me hungrier to turn this thing around.”

Transparency A Good Strategy

Hilferty talked about the new management team being transparent. That is sound public relations strategy — explain the rebuild and show what it is going to take. No gaslighting.

“I firmly believe, optimistically so, that if we share that with the fans, if we meet them where they are, they’ll come along on that journey and get to know our players better, the younger players as they develop,” Hilferty said.

Hilferty leaves you with the impression he’s all-in, all the time. That might be the best approach for the franchise.

“My wife got embarrassed two weeks ago because we were leaving to fly to California and anybody that walked into the little waiting area before we got on the plane that had anything that remotely looked like a Flyers garb, I went up and introduced myself,” Hilferty said.

“I want that to be what we do as a leadership team, both from a hockey perspective, and from a business perspective. So, I know he’s [president of hockey operations Keith Jones] going to be out there.

“I’m going to be out there, too … and I know Danny’s going to be out there. Torts has a role to … ”

“I won’t be out there,” coach John Tortorella said, to laughter.

“He won’t be out there,” Hilferty said. “We were all excited when he showed up today [at the news conference].”

Flyers fans want glimpses of hope along with great effort and execution. Normally impatient, fans know the road will be bumpy. Ultimately, winning will bring back the fans. Management knows that, too.