Toronto Maple Leafs dismiss assistant general manager and nearly a dozen other staff

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired assistant general manager Hayley Wickenheiser on Thursday. ESPN reported that Wickenheiser, who had served in the role since 2022 after joining the player development department in 2018, was among several executives dismissed by new general manager John Chayka. Chayka fired nearly a dozen employees that day.

Wickenheiser posted on social media to confirm her departure. "For the past eight seasons, it has been an incredible honor to work for the Toronto Maple Leafs," she wrote. She added that she had several discussions with Chayka about her role and that it became clear his leadership group envisioned a different path for her.

Others dismissed included assistant general manager Darryl Metcalf and head of amateur scouting Mark Leach, who guided Toronto through the selection of Gavin McKenna with the first pick in last month's NHL draft. "As part of our ongoing evaluation of the organization, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with some valued colleagues," Chayka said in a statement.