CWHL’s Hefford talks of merger
Interim commissioner wants to combine women’s leagues
CALGARY— As a hockey player, Jayna Hefford strove to make her league viable and respected. She’s now in a position to do that as its leader.
Hefford, who will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame this year, is in her first week as interim commissioner of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.
She replaces Brenda Andress, who is stepping down after 12 years at the helm. Hefford has put her name forth as a candidate for the job permanently while the CWHL conducts a search.
The 41-year-old from Kingston, Ont., says finding a way to unite the CWHL and the U.S.based NWHL into one premier North American women’s hockey league is a priority for her.
“That’s the goal: to get to a point where we have all the players in one professional league,” Hefford told The Canadian Press. “Without too much detail, I think the NHL being involved is the best-case scenario.
“How soon that can happen ... I don’t know if that’s a one-year thing, a two-year thing.
“I just want to see the sport at a place where I think the athletes deserve it to be. The players have the power. If they want to be in the same league, then we’ve got to find a way to make that work.”
Hefford played 14 seasons for the Brampton Thunder in both the CWHL and its predecessor league. The CWHL’s trophy given to the most valuable player is named after her.
She ranks second all-time in scoring behind Hayley Wickenheiser on the Canadian women’s team with 157 goals, 134 assists in 267 games.
Hefford won a combined 11 gold medals appearing in five Olympic Games and 12 world championships before retiring in 2015.
When she’s inducted into the Hall of Fame in November, Hefford will be the sixth female player to enter. The outgoing CWHL commissioner says she always wanted one league and predicts it will happen, but how to bring it about is up to her successor.
“I think that will be Jayna’s task moving forward as the new commissioner for sure,” Andress said.
“I firmly believe there will be one league.”