Toronto Six name Lisa Haley as assistant coach for inaugural season

Assistant coach number two has arrived for the Toronto Six.

 

Haley will be joining Gary Soper as an assistant coach for the team alongside Head Coach and President Digit Murphy.

“I love being a part of firsts and embrace exciting new challenges,” Haley said in the Six’s press release. “I was drawn by the opportunity to work with influential female leaders with high ambitions for the Six and look forward to achieving our lofty goals in Lake Placid in January. Though COVID-19 has changed what the season will look like, the short-term, pressure-packed format is a challenge I am familiar with from my time with Hockey Canada and I look forward to tackling it again.”

Haley joined the Ryerson Rams as the first coach in the program’s history. In the 2018-19 season, Haley led the Rams to an OUA leading performance with a program-high record of 15-8-1, winning their first playoff series in the process.

Haley has also previously coached at St Mary’s University as their head coach, as well as the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team in 2013-14

In her career, Haley won silver at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship and gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

“Lisa’s hockey mind is incredible and she is an amazing addition to the Six organization,” President and Head Coach Digit Murphy said. “It is very rare that two women of our experience get to work side by side toward a common goal in women’s sports. I am grateful for her commitment to our program and our goal of winning an Isobel Cup.”

Soper, who will be unable to join the Six for their season had words of welcome to the new assistant coach. “Lisa Haley coming onboard brings a wealth of experience to the Six,” Soper said. “From her role as Head Coach with Ryerson and her Hockey Canada experience in the U18 program, the organization will benefit with her involvement.”

The Toronto Six’s inaugural season and season number six for the NWHL is set to start on January 23, 2021, and will go until February 5th, 2021 in Lake Placid, NY. Stay tuned for more Toronto Six content from us at The Leafs Nation.