Toronto Maple Leafs fire assistant general manager Hayley Wickenheiser
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired assistant general manager Hayley Wickenheiser as part of a major overhaul of their front office by new general manager John Chayka.
The Canadian franchise dismissed several prominent executives on Thursday morning in a surprising purge of their backroom staff.
Wickenheiser, who is widely regarded as one of the most decorated women’s players in hockey history, had held her senior role since 2022.
The celebrated Olympian originally joined the organisation’s player development department in 2018 before climbing the ranks.
‘Envisioned a different path’
Confirming her departure on social media, the Hockey Hall of Famer revealed she expected to retain significant influence under the new regime.
“Over the last few days, John Chayka and I had several discussions about my role moving forward,” Wickenheiser wrote.
“During those conversations, my expectation was that I would be in a position to continue to have a significant impact within the organization.”
“However, it became clear that his leadership group envisioned a different path.”
Key scouting and analytics figures depart
Alongside the former Canadian international, assistant general manager Darryl Metcalf and head of amateur scouting Mark Leach were also relieved of their duties.
Leach’s departure comes as a particular shock, having just guided the team through the selection of highly-rated prospect Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in last month’s NHL draft.
A number of crucial analytics employees were also let go during Thursday’s sweeping changes.
Chayka, who recently took charge of the National Hockey League outfit, described the cull as part of an ongoing evaluation of the organisation.
“These decisions were not easy and are not a reflection of the commitment of the impacted people,” Chayka said in a statement.
“We are sincerely grateful for everything they have contributed to this organization and wish them nothing but the very best in the future.”