Wickenheiser is the fourth woman to be named an assistant GM in NHL history. She has worked with Toronto prospects at all levels, with a focus on those based in western Canada while completing her education at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine in 2021. She scored 379 points (168 goals, 211 assists), the most in the history of her country, and retired in 2017 to pursue becoming an emergency room doctor. Wickenheiser was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 and became one of Canada's most influential faces in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils named Kate Madigan assistant GM, making her the fifth woman to be elevated to that post in the NHL.
Previously, the Vancouver Canucks named Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato as assistant GMs on Jan. 24 and Feb. 10, respectively; Meghan Hunter was promoted to assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks on June 22.
Jessica Campbell was named the first full-time female assistant coach in the history of the American Hockey League on Tuesday when she was hired by Coachella Valley, the affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, which is scheduled to begin play next season. A former captain at Cornell University, Campbell will join Seattle's development camp July 11-14 to work with prospects drafted or signed as free agents the past two seasons.
The Maple Leafs were 54-21-7 in the regular season, second in the Atlantic Division. They lost in the Eastern Conference First Round to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games and have not advanced past the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2004.
