Hayley Wickenheiser: Everyone loved her in Toronto… before John Chayka showed up

Marc-Olivier Cook
Hayley Wickenheiser: Everyone loved her in Toronto… before John Chayka showed up
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

Yesterday, the Leafs announced that eleven members of the organization were leaving.

Among them?

Hayley Wickenheiser is among them. She joined the Maple Leafs as assistant director of player development in 2018 (and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2022) and posted a message on X announcing her departure from the club.

But… this announcement is a bit odd in and of itself.

Because, in fact, just a few weeks ago, Elliotte Friedman had thrown her name into the mix for the search for Toronto's new GM (before John Chayka was hired).

The insider had even said on his podcast that Keith Pelley, president of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, held her in very high regard… and now she finds herself out of a job today.

Do you see why I say this is strange? 

The official story doesn't say whether Wickenheiser was fired.

She wanted to continue playing a significant role with the organization, but in the message she posted on X, she wrote that she'd had several discussions with John Chayka since his hiring… and that things became a bit clearer afterward.

During those conversations, my expectation was to be in a position to continue making a significant impact on the organization. However, it became clear that this leadership team was envisioning a different path. – Hayley Wickenheiser

One plus one equals two…

Clearly, Chayka wanted to move on to another challenge and do things his way. We know the guy is obsessed with advanced statistics, and maybe he just wants to surround himself with like-minded people.

Oh well. 

It's a bummer for Wickenheiser, but it shows just how quickly things can change in the world of hockey…  


In a nutshell

– Meh.

– I like it.

– And rightly so.

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