Hayley Wickenheiser Linked to Maple Leafs GM Job

“There’s a report that they’ve talked to John Chayka already,” Friedman said. “I’ve heard rumors about… I’ve heard Dean Lombardi’s name, that he has interest in this. Another guy who was data-driven, that looks a lot better now, is Kevyn Adams.”

Between all those external names, however, Friedman also brought an intriguing internal option to the conversation.

“I’ve heard that (Keith) Pelley thinks very highly of Hayley Wickenheiser,” Friedman said.

Hayley Wickenheiser, a former Team Canada captain and Olympic gold medalist, has been an assistant general manager for the organization since 2022.

Friedman expanded on that initial comment, noting that Wickenheiser has already been part of internal discussions during the early GM search process.

“One of the people (Pelley) met with internally was Wickenheiser,” Friedman said. “I don’t know that she is going to be the next person in charge, I honestly don’t. But I won’t be surprised if something there appeals to her and she has an elevated role.”

The Maple Leafs fired Treliving shortly after it was confirmed the franchise would miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Toronto confirmed its fate by losing to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, effectively missing out on making it to the postseason.