Patrick Sharp is returning to where his NHL career began in joining the Philadelphia Flyers as a special advisor to hockey operations on Tuesday.
Sharp was drafted in the third round, 95th overall, by the Flyers in 2001. The Winnipeg native played in parts of three seasons with the club until he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in December 2005 where he won the Stanley Cup three times.
Sharp retired following the 2017-18 season, having played 939 regular-season games and registering 287 goals and 333 assists for 620 points. He also earned gold for Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
“I am proud to announce the addition of Patrick Sharp to our hockey operations team,” Flyers general manager Daniel Brière said in a team release. “Patrick is a well-established veteran on-and-off the ice and his incomparable hockey knowledge will be a valuable asset to our organization and young prospects.”
The 41-year-old Sharp has worked with NBC Sports as a colour commentator and studio analyst, and has also served as an advisor to the coaching staff at the University of Vermont, his alma mater, since retiring from the NHL.
The Flyers have been revamping their front office since general manager Chuck Fletcher was fired on March 10. Brière initially took over on an interim basis before he was officially named GM on May 11 while Keith Jones, another former Flyer, was hired as team president of hockey operations.
Alyn McCauley was also promoted to assistant general manager earlier this month.
Philadelphia finished this season with a 31-38-13 record and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.