As Flyers general manager Daniel Brière and his staff continue to explore options for their next head coach, the list of candidates keeps growing, and current OHL coach Jay McKee could be among those in consideration, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Brière has previously stated that the next head coach should be someone who can effectively communicate with, and develop, a young roster. That’s where Briere’s former teammate McKee, the current head coach of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, may excel. At just 47-year-old, McKee had a successful career in the NHL and has a great track record coaching younger players in the OHL. These qualities, along with the familiarity Brière has with his former teammate, may make McKee a strong candidate for the Flyers’ head coaching job.
McKee led Brantford to a 44-19-5 record this past season, and helped the team capture the 2022 OHL title. McKee has spent parts of eight seasons as a head coach in the OHL. His coaching career began in 2011 when he was named an assistant coach of the Rochester Americans. McKee began his coaching career as an assistant with the OHL’s Erie Otters, where he worked with future superstar Connor McDavid. He later served several seasons as head coach of the Kitchener Rangers before taking over behind the bench in Brantford in 2021. Since then, he has compiled a 121-62-21 record and led the team to one division title. And as Hall points out, several coaches have successfully made the jump from the OHL to the NHL, including Jacques Martin, Peter DeBoer, and Sheldon Keefe.
In addition to McKee, the Flyers have also been linked Philly legend Rick Tocchet, Western Michigan University coach Pat Ferschweiler, and current interim head coach Brad Shaw.