Hayley Wickenheiser for years was the on-ice saviour for Hockey Canada's women's national team. Now, with nothing in her way, Wickenheiser could be Hockey Canada's off-ice saviour as well.

For the last eight years, Wickenheiser has worked for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs; first as Assistant Director of Player Development, then as Director of Player Development, and for the past four seasons, as Assistant General Manager. During that time, Canada's top job was filled.

When Hockey Canada officially announced they'd be parting ways and heading in a new direction without women's national team general manager and Wickenheiser's former teammate Gina Kingsbury, and head coach Troy Ryan, it opened the door for change.

When Canada announced the change, however, Wickenheiser would have been a logical front runner, but her role with the Maple Leafs was a prohibitive barrier to adequately scouting players for selection, and the women's international schedule would have taken her away from her role with the Maple Leafs at key times during their own season. 

Following her departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs last week however, the door is now open, and path cleared on both sides of the discussion. 

And there are plenty of familiar faces for Wickenheiser on Hockey Canada's search committee that has been charged with finding replacements for Kingsbury and Ryan. The committee is chaired by Hockey Canada board member Gillian Apps, and includes Therese Brisson, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Misha Donskov, Scott Salmond, and Brad Treliving.

Looking at the search committee itself, Wickenheiser's former Maple Leafs General Manager, who was fired this offseason, Brad Treliving is there. The duo spent years working side-by-side, giving Treliving the first hand knowledge on Wickenheiser's hockey operations aptitude. The committee also includes her former Canadian teammates in Apps, Campbell-Pascall, and Brisson. They weren't just teammates. Apps and Wickenheiser were linemates. It was also Wickenheiser who took over from Campbell-Pascall as Canada's national team captain.  

As a player, Wickenheiser won four Olympic gold medals, and seven World Championship gold medals for Canada as a catalyzing figure for the nation. Her impassioned play and representation of the nation brought fans together, and new respect to women's hockey on the international stage. Now, the Hockey Hall of Fame and IIHF Hall of Fame inductee could help her nation reclaim that glory.

Wickenheiser's player development and hockey operations experience from the NHL is what Hockey Canada has lacked. For years now, Hockey Canada has relied on the sheer volume of players coming through the ranks, and luck to receive highly skilled players. They've done a less than spectacular job of ushering in and developing younger players. Meanwhile, USA Hockey has leaned into developing young players, and identifying and integrating that talent sooner. The results were clear over the last year where Canada's aging roster was outclassed at every turn by their American counterparts.

Now however, the opportunity is there, and it seems like a match made in heaven for not only an on-ice legend of the sport, but also an individual with significant managerial experience to take over as GM for Team Canada.

Wickenheiser is the obvious decision. The only question is whether or not she wants the job. If she does, Canada will be gaining an experienced and qualified hockey mind who has earned the respect of the hockey world in every role she's accepted, both on and off the ice. 

With the next World Championships beginning in November, and national team camps set to begin in the coming months, Canada will need to make a decision soon, and Wickenheiser fits the bill.