The Toronto Maple Leafs have added Hayley Wickenheiser to their front-office staff, hiring the four-time Olympic gold medallist to be the club’s assistant director of player development.It was one of several moves announced Thursday by the Leafs.Scott Pellerin was promoted to senior director of player development and Stéphane Robidas was named the club’s director of player development.Noelle Needham was named amateur scout based in the Midwestern United States and Victor Carneiro was named amateur scout based in Ontario. Read more:Wickenheiser sees no barriers for women in hockeyWickenheiser to donate brain to concussion researchWickenheiser, 40, is one of the most recognized figures in women’s hockey. She won Olympic gold four times for Canada and has been breaking down barriers since 1998, when she participated in the Philadelphia Flyers’ rookie camp at age 19 at the invitation of then-GM Bobby Clarke. “I’ve had the most opportunities in the most unorthodox areas,” Wickenheiser told the Star’s Kevin McGran last month. “People find that interesting or groundbreaking. But for me, I’m just doing my thing and playing hockey, or coaching . . . When you have a platform where people want to listen, I think you should use it to make a difference.”Wickenheiser, the country’s all-time leading scorer, announced her retirement in January, 2017, after 23 years on the Canadian women’s team and almost a dozen Olympic and world championship gold medals.The MVP of the 2002 and 2006 Olympic tournaments, Wickenheiser had 379 career points for Canada, including 168 goals, in 276 games. More laterTOP STORIES. IN YOUR INBOX: For the day’s top sports news from the Star’s award-winning journalists, sign up for our daily sports headlines newsletter.
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