While Rick Tocchet was at the top of their list when it came to hiring a new head coach, the Philadelphia Flyers also dove into some lesser known names like Pat Ferschweiler from Western Michigan University and Jay McKee from the Brantford Bulldogs.
Now with a vacancy in the minor league level with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with Ian Laperrière now in an advisory role with the big club, the Flyers could go back to the well with McKee, according to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco.
“As for his replacement, Jay McKee (who interviewed for the Flyers head coaching job) and current assistant coach John Snowden are candidates to be the next head coach of the Phantoms, a source told Daily Faceoff. The fate of the other assistant coach, Jason Smith, will be determined by the next head coach.”
McKee is currently the bench boss for the Bulldogs and just completed his fourth season with the organization that were previously referred to as the Hamilton Bulldogs before the 2023-24 season. He won the championship in his first year with the club in 2021-22 but has since been ousted in the first round twice and just recently the second round this year.
The former teammate of Daniel Brière between 2002-06 played 14 years in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Pittsburgh Penguins. McKee finished with 21 goals and 125 points in 802 games, primarily playing in a top-4 role on the back-end.
Prior to his stint with the Bulldogs, McKee was an assistant coach for the Erie Otters in 2014-15, associate coach for the Kitchener Rangers in 2015-16, and then head coach for the Rangers from 2016-17 to 2019-20. He went all the way to the Conference Finals with Kitchener in 2017-18 before winning it all with Hamilton a few years later.
This could be an important piece of information if it comes to pass because McKee coached one of the top prospects heading into the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in Jake O’Brien. The 6’2”, 175-pound centre is expected to be a top-10 pick with many having him slotted in the top-7 or top-8, which would be in line with the Flyers’ selection at 6.
There’s been a lot of talk about the draft and how it will more than likely commence with the 3rd or 4th selection. Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa are expected to be the first two off the board but after that it’s anyone’s guess to where James Hagens, Anton Frondell, Porter Martone, or Caleb Desnoyers end up.
O’Brien did a great job in the latter half of the season to propel himself into the top-7 conversation. He finished the year with 32 goals and 98 points in 66 games and added 11 points in 11 playoff games before being ousted in the second round against Oshawa in 6 games.
The Toronto native finished the season on a high note as he notched a point in all but 1 of his final 23 games, where he collected 11 goals and 48 points. During that stretch he recorded a 17-game point streak before it ended in a game against Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk, and the London Knights.
While many have had their sights set on Hagens potentially dropping, or Frondell after a solid season in Sweden, or the late riser in Desnoyers, O’Brien fits right in that same tier of prospects and the Flyers might as well be interested if they’re that heavily involved with McKee on a coaching level.
Based on a lot of scouts’ reports, O’Brien is a highly talented offensive weapon, great playmaker, adjusts very well on the power play, and his IQ is through the roof, which tends to be a trait the Flyers tend to zero in on.
Jason Bukala – Sportsnet – March 26th: “He reads how plays are developing in the offensive zone and has a knack for finding opportunities in the deep slot and around the net. He works the weak side flank effectively on the power play and has added more of a defensive dimension to his overall game.”
Scott Wheeler – The Athletic – March 25th: “He’s a finesse player with tons of feel, poise and craftsmanship on the puck and as a passer (he seems to know where guys are even when they’re in his blind spot). The IQ and passing ability are high-end tools. He’s got an ability to put pucks into spaces for both his linemates but also himself.”
Craig Button – TSN – March 25th: “[With] Jake, the hockey sense has always been excellent, but I really felt that he had to get more of the doing part of the game balanced with the thinking part of the game. And he’s done that.”
Smaht Scouting – March 23rd: “Jake O’Brien is a reliable, well-rounded center who brings strong two-way presence and playmaking instincts to the ice. He blends size, reach, and poise to maintain possession through pressure, often using his length and tight puck control to navigate through traffic in the neutral zone or along the perimeter.”
O’Brien even jumped a few spots in Bob McKenzie’s draft rankings. The venerated draft guru had O’Brien 9th in his mid-season rankings before placing him 7th in his latest rendition, jumping ahead of Roger McQueen and Victor Eklund.
It will be interesting how any of the teams ahead of the Flyers in the draft view and compare prospects like Frondell, Desnoyers, and O’Brien because that will have major implications on the Flyers’ selection at #6. While we have a general idea on what the New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks will be doing at 1 and 2, teams like Utah at 4 and Nashville at 5 could throw a wrench in the Flyers’ plans.
Either which way, Philadelphia is poised to land a great prospect whether it be Frondell, Desnoyers, O’Brien, or even Martone should he somehow fall out of the top-5. However, their interest in McKee shouldn’t go unnoticed ahead of a crucial draft and O’Brien checks off a lot of boxes for the Flyers.
The Flyers are still searching for a new head coach for the Phantoms and regardless of their draft position and interest in O’Brien, McKee seems to be very high on their list and could supplant current assistant coaches like John Snowden for the position.
Philadelphia is looking for a more vocal leader behind the bench in Lehigh Valley and McKee seems to fit a lot of what the Flyers are looking for. The fact that he was interviewed for the NHL coaching vacancy speaks volumes into their trust with the OHL bench boss and he could be exactly what the Phantoms need to take the next step with plenty of top prospects expecting to join in the next coming seasons.
It should be an interesting summer in Philadelphia with a ton of draft capital, cap space, and vacancies still needing to be filled before the 2025-26 season gets underway.
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