ST. JOHN'S, N.L. – The Newfoundland Growlers have temporarily appointed former Olympic flag-bearer and women's hockey star Danielle Goyette as an assistant coach.
The team revealed the appointment in a news release Thursday, saying Goyette is the first female assistant coach in the history of the ECHL, formerly the East Coast Hockey League.
Her debut behind the bench was Thursday night during the Growlers' at-home series against the Reading Royals at the Mary Brown's Centre in downtown St. John's.
The Growlers say she was called to the role after head coach Eric Wellwood entered COVID-19 protocol earlier this week, making him temporarily unavailable.
Goyette won several Olympic gold medals as a hockey player and she carried the flag for Team Canada at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017.
She also led Team Canada's women's hockey team to gold as assistant coach at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and she's been the director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs since last May.
