Danielle Goyette to become first woman to serve as assistant coach in ECHL

The Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL found themselves in need of some coaching help after head coach Eric Wellwood entered the COVID-19 protocol this week. 

Enter former player and current Toronto Maple Leafs director of player development Danielle Goyette, who is set to make some history on Thursday. 

According to the official Growlers website, Goyette will become the first woman on a coaching staff to work behind the bench for an ECHL game when the Maple Leafs' affiliate faces the Reading Royals on Thursday evening. Those two teams will also meet on Friday and Saturday. 

Per Kristen Shilton of ESPN, Nathan McIver will serve as acting Newfoundland coach in Wellwood's absence. 

Goyette earned two Olympic Gold Medals and eight International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championships Gold Medals featuring for Canada from 1992 through 2007. She was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017. 

Following Goyette's stellar playing career, she became head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos in 2007. She also worked as an assistant for Team Canada at the World Championships in 2012 and the 2014 Winter Olympics. 

She joined the Maple Leafs from the University of Calgary last May.