Leafs promote Wickenheiser to senior director of player development

Two days after earning her medical degree, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser took yet another step in her multi-faceted career.

The Toronto Maple Leafs elevated her to senior director of player development Monday and named fellow Canadian hockey legend Danielle Goyette the department's director.

Wickenheiser joined the Maple Leafs as assistant director of player development in 2018. She fulfilled her duties with the team while studying at the University of Calgary.

The 42-year-old shared her academic achievement Saturday.

Wickenheiser is arguably the greatest Canadian women's hockey player ever. She's the all-time points leader with 379 in 276 games, and she won four Olympic gold medals along with seven World Championship titles before retiring in 2017. She was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.

Goyette is also a decorated Canadian star. The 55-year-old was teammates with Wickenheiser for many of the aforementioned triumphs, including gold-medal victories in 2002 and 2006. The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Goyette in 2017. She most recently served as head coach of the University of Calgary's women's hockey team, a post she occupied since 2007.

The Maple Leafs made two other personnel moves Monday. Player development consultant Darryl Belfry will now handle the technical development of the team's players and staff, while Will Sibley was promoted from director of video and prospect analysis to director of development operations and analysis.