Flyers hire Sami Kapanen, Kyle Shero in front office roles

The Philadelphia Flyers announced the hirings of two former players in front office roles. NHL and Flyers veteran Sami Kapanen was named head of European player development and pro scout, while fresh-out-of-college Kyle Shero was added as an amateur scout.

Kapanen, who played 311 games for the Flyers between 2003 and 2008, will head a region he’s certainly familiar with. He spent his junior career in Finland and played five seasons of pro hockey there after leaving the Flyers.

Kapanen, who owned KalPa in the Finnish Liiga from 2003 to 2020, served as the team’s general manager in 2010-11 during a one-year break from playing. He was the head coach of KalPa’s U20 team in 2015-16 before coaching the big club for the following three seasons (assistant in 2016-17, head coach from 2017-19). He most recently served as the head coach of HC Lugano in the NL for the first half of the 2019-20 season before being relieved of his duties.

Shero, just 23 years old, is the grandson of Flyers coaching great Fred Shero and the son of Stanley Cup-winning general manager Ray Shero. After four years of Division III hockey at Connecticut College, he’ll begin his front office career with the Flyers.