Leafs' Front-Office Overhaul
Hayley Wickenheiser Departs Toronto Maple Leafs as GM John Chayka Initiates Major Front-Office Overhaul
Key Points
Darryl Metcalf (Assistant General Manager of Hockey Research & Development) and Mark Leach (Director of Amateur Scouting) were among the first front-office staffers to depart the Maple Leafs as part of the broader organizational shakeup.
Senior advisor, player personnel Dave Morrison was also let go as part of the Maple Leafs’ overhaul of scouting, development and analytics.
The Maple Leafs missed the playoffs in the 2025-26 season, finishing 32-36-14 for 78 points, marking their first playoff absence in nine years.
John Chayka officially became Maple Leafs GM in early May after Brad Treliving was fired, and he is leading a restructuring designed to align the organization with his philosophy across scouting, development and analytics.
Wickenheiser’s playing career highlights include four Olympic titles and seven world championships for Canada, and she is Canada’s career points leader with 168 goals and 211 assists in 276 games.
Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser is leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs after eight seasons in the front office, the latest departure in a sweeping overhaul led by new GM John Chayka newstimes.com. The split came after talks with Chayka made clear the organization had a different vision for her role going forward.
Wickenheiser joined the Leafs in 2018 as assistant director of player development and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2022 idahopress.com. She expressed pride in the player development team and said she looks forward to a new chapter.
Chayka's Sweeping Cuts Hit Scouting and Analytics
Wickenheiser is not alone. Darryl Metcalf, assistant GM of hockey research and development, also left the organization thetelegraph.com. So did Mark Leach, director of amateur scouting, and Dave Morrison, a senior advisor for player personnel. The cuts span three key departments: scouting, player development, and analytics.
Chayka officially became Leafs GM in early May after Brad Treliving was fired hjnews.com. He is rebuilding the front office to match his own philosophy. The Leafs described the moves as part of an ongoing organizational evaluation.
A Miserable Season Sealed the Front Office's Fate
The 2025-26 season gave Leafs ownership every reason to shake things up. Toronto finished 32-36-14 for 78 points and missed the playoffs beaumontenterprise.com. It was the team's first playoff absence in nine years — a damning result for a franchise that has long been under pressure to win.
The collapse made the front office an easy target. Chayka came in with a mandate to change the culture and structure top to bottom. Multiple senior staffers were gone within weeks of his arrival.
Wickenheiser Leaves Behind a Hall-of-Fame Legacy
Few people in hockey history match Wickenheiser's résumé. She won four Olympic gold medals and seven world championships with Canada newstimes.com. She is Canada's all-time leading scorer in international play, with 168 goals and 211 assists in 276 games.
Her eight years with Toronto made her one of the most prominent women ever to serve in an NHL front office. She built the player development pipeline from within. Whatever comes next, her mark on the organization is already set.
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