Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser is considered one of the best female hockey players of all time. Canada’s all-time leading scorer, she has won seven world championships, made six Olympic appearances, and won five Olympic medals — four of them Gold. Today, Wickenheiser is the assistant general manager of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as a community leader, medical doctor, and businesswoman who inspires audiences to give their best in everything they do.

A first-ballot Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Wickenheiser’s hockey IQ is highly respected in both the male and female game. She made hockey history as the first female player to notch a point in a men’s professional game and as the first woman in history to play in or coach at four NHL development camps with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. +

Wickenheiser’s ascent to the top of her sport started in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan where at age 15 she became the youngest member chosen for the Canadian Women’s National Team. Her Olympic career spanned 23 years and two sports as she also competed in softball at the 2000 Games. In 2014, Wickenheiser was Canada’s official flag bearer at the Sochi Olympics and she also served on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission.

In 2017, Wickenheiser announced her retirement from the national women’s hockey team. In addition to her work with the Leafs, she is now a medical doctor practicing family and emergency medicine — a pursuit she has dreamt of her whole life. She is also a bestselling author having released her first book Over the Boards: Lessons from the Ice in 2021.

Wickenheiser has earned many accolades throughout her career, including being named on Sports Illustrated’s “Top 25 Toughest Athletes in the World” and twice named to their “Power 50 in Sports” list. She is also one of QMI Agency’s “Top 10 Greatest Female Athletes in the History of Sports”, a member of the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40”, and an inductee in both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2014, Wickenheiser was awarded Canada’s highest honour when she was appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of her athletic achievements and contributions to the growth of women’s hockey.

Wickenheiser’s passion for sport is paralleled by her desire to give back to the community through her work with dozens of philanthropic organizations, including Jumpstart, KidSport, and Right to Play — organizations dedicated to ensuring kids of all financial and cultural backgrounds can play sports. She is also the founder of the world-renowned personal and athletic development weekend, The Canadian Tire Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival, which provides mentoring and growth opportunities for young athletes around the world.

Wickenheiser holds several honourary degrees from institutions across Canada, as well as a Masters in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary, where she also earned her degree in medicine. --

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser Speaking Presentations:

Pressure-Tested: Strategic Resilience for Peak Performers +

What separates those who burnout from those who breakthrough?

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser brings a perspective few can match — she is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, the assistant general manager of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a practising emergency medicine physician. From her extraordinary experiences, she has learned the core difference between those who sustain peak performance and those who flame out: strategic resilience.

In this compelling keynote, Wickenheiser cuts through conventional wisdom about “powering through” to reveal what actually works when the stakes are highest. Through riveting stories from her Olympic and NHL career to med school and residency, she demonstrates how resilience isn’t just bouncing back — it’s a deliberate skill that can be cultivated and deployed.

Whether you’re a healthcare professional, executive, manager, or high performer in any field, Wickenheiser’s evidence-based approaches and firsthand experiences provide actionable tools to thrive under pressure, recover from setbacks, and achieve sustained excellence without sacrificing your mental health and well-being. --

Health, Wealth and Wondering (in Sport and Life) +

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser brings a rare dual perspective as both an Olympic hockey champion and practicing emergency physician to explore life’s most fundamental questions. Drawing from her experiences with cutting-edge medical technologies and world-class performance environments, she examines how achievement, success, and purpose intersect — often in unexpected ways.

Through compelling personal stories from Olympic podiums to emergency rooms, Wickenheiser reveals the complex relationship between external markers of success and internal well-being. She challenges conventional wisdom about what constitutes true health and wealth, offering fresh insights on mental health drawn from high-stakes environments in both sport and medicine. --

The Champion's Edge: Leading Through Adversity +

In today’s increasingly complex world, change is the only constant. Drawing from her extraordinary career as an Olympic gold medalist, physician, and NHL executive, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser shares powerful insights on navigating uncertainty and leading teams through challenging circumstances.

Wickenheiser explores how exceptional leaders create winning cultures in both favourable and unfavourable conditions. She reveals practical strategies for transforming disruption into opportunity, building resilience in your team, and maintaining focus when facing unexpected obstacles.

This compelling keynote equips audiences with actionable frameworks to: 

• Develop adaptability as your competitive advantage.
• Foster team cohesion during turbulent times.
• Make decisive choices amid ambiguity.
• Transform setbacks into stepping stones for growth.

Discover the leadership principles that helped drive Wickenheiser’s success at the highest levels of sport, medicine, and business, and how they can be applied to lead your organization through today’s disruptive landscape. --

Cultivating a Growth Mindset: How to Stay Motivated +

With an extraordinary career spanning six Olympic Games, multiple gold medals, groundbreaking achievements in hockey, and success as both a physician and NHL executive, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser draws on her unique journey to demonstrate how cultivating a growth mindset is the ultimate competitive advantage — even at the pinnacle of success.

In this compelling keynote, Wickenheiser will demonstrate that true greatness lies not in reaching the top, but in continuously evolving once you’re there. She’ll shares powerful insights on how complacency is the silent adversary of achievement, while embracing change unlocks new levels of potential.

Through personal stories and practical strategies, Wickenheiser will illustrate how the most successful individuals and organizations don’t simply adapt to change — they actively seek it as a catalyst for innovation and growth. Attendees will leave inspired to identify opportunities for improvement in their own lives and careers, enhance their change resilience, and transform challenges into stepping stones toward sustained excellence. --

Championship Teams: Olympic Lessons in Excellence +

Drawing from her unparalleled experience across six Olympic Games, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser shares powerful insights into what truly makes teams successful when it matters most.

In this inspiring presentation, Wickenheiser reveals the critical teambuilding elements that transformed her teams into champions, offering practical strategies for developing high-performance culture, effective leadership, and resilient team dynamics.

Attendees will gain valuable lessons from Wickenheiser’s Olympic journey that can be immediately applied to build stronger, more cohesive teams capable of delivering excellence under pressure. This presentation is perfect for organizations looking to elevate their teamwork, leadership, and competitive edge through the wisdom of one of Canada’s most accomplished athletes. --

Breaking Barriers: Women's Leadership in Challenging Environments +

As one of the most influential figures in hockey and sports leadership, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser offers a compelling perspective on navigating male-dominated spaces as a woman at the highest levels.

Drawing from her groundbreaking career — from being the lone women on the ice to the management table — Wickenheiser shares candid insights into the unique complexities women face in leadership positions. She delivers practical wisdom on building confidence, overcoming gender bias, and transforming challenges into strategic advantages.

Through powerful personal stories and hard-earned lessons, attendees will gain valuable strategies for leadership, creating inclusive cultures, and driving meaningful change within their organizations. This session provides essential guidance for women charting their leadership journeys and for organizations committed to developing diverse leadership talent. --

Customized Messages +

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser has been public speaking for many years and can easily customize one of her existing messages to fit your event or project theme. --

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser is represented by K&M Productions.

To inquire about Hayley Wickenheiser's speaking schedule & booking Hayley Wickenheiser, contact us.