Goyette joins Growlers' coaching staff

ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland – The Newfoundland Growlers, ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced that Danielle Goyette will temporarily join the club’s coaching staff ahead of their upcoming series against the Reading Royals.Danielle Goyette joins the Growlers coaching staff in response to Head Coach Eric Wellwood not being available after entering COVID-19 protocol earlier this week.

Goyette, a native of Saint-Nazaire, Quebec, played 172 times for Canada’s National Women’s Team from 1992-2007, accumulating 219 points to go along with eight IIHF World Women's Championships Gold Medals as well as a pair of Olympic Gold Medals (2002 Salt Lake City & 2006 Turin).

Following her retirement from a decorated playing career, Goyette was named head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey program in 2007.

On top of winning a national university championship in 2012 with the Dinos, she also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the World Championships in 2012 and again at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi where Canada captured gold.

Since departing the University of Calgary program in 2021, Goyette joined the Toronto Maple Leafs to serve as Director of Player Development, a position she’s held since last May.

For her overall contributions to the game of hockey, Goyette was selected as flag bearer for Team Canada during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Additionally, she has been inducted into both the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017, before being made a member of the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2018.

Inspiring young females in the game of hockey since her playing days, Goyette continues to break barriers in the sport today. She will become the first female coaching staff member to take the bench for an ECHL game.

Goyette will make her debut behind Newfoundland's bench when the Growlers open a three-game series against Reading on Thursday.