Toronto Maple Leafs: Hayley Wickenheiser and Stephane Robidas headline personnel changes

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced more personnel changes with Stephane Robidas promoted to Director of Player Development, and Hayley Wickenheiser being named his assistant.

It has been a busy summer for the Toronto Maple Leafs front office and it continued with Stephane Robidas getting a promotion and the hiring of Hayley Wickenheiser to lead the player development department.

Known for his time as an NHL player, playing as a defenceman since the turn of the century, primarily with the Dallas Stars. He was originally selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the seventh round (164th overall) of the 1995 draft, Robidas made his NHL debut during the 1999/2000 season.

The Sherbrooke, Quebec native spent a further two seasons with the Canadiens before moving to Dallas, where he would be later named as an alternate captain for the better part of five seasons.

After brief spells with the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks, which came much earlier in his career, Robidas joined the Leafs.

Although he only played one full season with the Leafs, his name has become synonymous with the team after the famed ‘Robidas Island’ incident that saw him let the remaining two years of his contract run out without ever setting foot on the ice.

Joffrey Lupul has been the most recent inhabitant of the island, failing to pass medicals and letting his contract run out in much the same way the Robidas did.

Robidas would rejoin the team as an assistant director of player development working which is the role Wickenheiser will takeover.

Wickenheiser has won everything there is in the women’s game, winning an astonishing four Olympic gold medals for Team Canada, adding another seven World Championship golds in her career.

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The Shaunavon, Saskatchewan native was so dominant in the women’s game that she has the distinction of being one of very few to play in men’s leagues, featuring in the second tier of Finnish hockey as well as the third tier of Swedish hockey during her career.

The move represents Wickenheiser’s first step into the operations side of hockey, with her long and illustrious playing career ending just one year ago. She joined the Leafs at prospect development camp and at the time expressed an interest in working for an NHL team.

Overseeing both Robidas and Wickenheiser will be Scott Pellerin, who has been promoted to Senior Director of Player Development.

Pellerin’s promotion comes after four years of service with the Maple Leafs, with the New Brunswick native previously spending eight years coaching in the AHL.

Pellerin also brings with him over 500 games worth of NHL experience, having had spells with the likes of the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild and Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes.

Noelle Needham, who has three years playing experience with the Minnesota State University women’s team, has also been hired as an amateur scout based in the Midwestern United States.

Victor Carneiro, who has spent the past 19 years working in scouting and player personnel with the London Knights and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds has also been hired as an amateur scout based in Ontario.

What do you think of the staff changes the Leafs have made? Are you happy to see a hockey legend such as Hayley Wickenheiser joining the team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!