Meet Jayna Hefford, Top 25 Women of Influence+ Award Recipient

Driven by a passion for the sport and dedication to shaping its future for women and girls worldwide, Jayna Hefford has transitioned from a Hockey Hall Of Fame playing career to a top leadership role. She now serves as the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations at the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). While honouring hockey’s traditions, Hefford has taken a forward-thinking approach, implementing rules that have modernized the game and enhanced the fan experience. Under her leadership, the PWHL’s inaugural 2024 season broke attendance records and captivated a growing global community, earning Sports Breakthrough of the Year honours from Sports Business Journal.

Before her current role, Hefford served as the Interim Commissioner of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL). She later took on a critical advisory role with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), which led to the formation of the PWHL.

In addition to her distinguished playing career in the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League (COWHL), the original National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), Hefford is one of the most-decorated Canadian Olympians of all time. She represented her country at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan – the first Olympic Games to feature women’s ice hockey as a medal sport. After earning a silver medal in that debut, Hefford helped Canada win four consecutive gold medals between 2002 and 2014. She also made 12 appearances at the IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning seven gold and five silver medals. By the end of her illustrious career, Hefford ranked second in Team Canada history for games played, goals, and points.

In 2018, Hefford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, becoming just the sixth woman to receive this honor. The following year, she was recognized as a Distinguished Honoree of the Order of Hockey in Canada and was elected to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the country’s only national museum of sport.