The Toronto Maple Leafs welcome Hayley Wickenheiser to their front office today. The longtime Canadian national team star and hockey legend will be serving as the assistant director of player development for the Leafs. She will begin her position immediately. She recently served as a guest coach at the team’s June development camp.
Wickenheiser is the leading scorer in the history of the Canadian women’s national team. Winning four gold medals as a part of that team. She retired from the team in 2017. Her 23-year career with the national team featured the four gold medals. Wickenheiser also added one silver in her chosen sport of ice hockey. Little know is that she also played an Olympic tournament as a part of the softball national team.
She along with teammates Caroline Oullette and Jayna Hefford are the most medaled Canadian athletes in history. She is widely regarded as the greatest female hockey player in the world.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of a summer of major front office changes. This being the latest since the hiring of Kyle Dubas. While this is not the first female front office hiring in the NHL. Angela Gorgone is a current assistant GM with the New Jersey Devils after a storied career with the Anaheim Ducks organization. Though it is still somewhat of a rarity.
Dubas and Brendan Shanahan aim to bring the Toronto Maple Leafs organization into the 21st century and reshape the front office to meet that goal. This hiring is another step from the same team that was able to woo John Tavares from the New York Islanders.
Wickenheiser will be working under Scott Pellerin, who was promoted to senior director of development on Thursday, in addition to director Stephane Robidas.
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