TORONTO — Brendan Shanahan has been named strategic adviser to Kilmer Sports Ventures on the Professional Women's Hockey League, reuniting with former Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment co-owner Larry Tanenbaum. The appointment was confirmed on Thursday, with Kilmer — owned by Tanenbaum and a strategic capital partner in the PWHL since June — adding the former Toronto Maple Leafs president and alternate governor to its hockey portfolio, which also includes the WNBA's Toronto Tempo.
"To see (Hefford) now taking on the PWHL and to see its growth, and to be approached by Larry to partner with him and serve as a an advisor, if and when I'm needed, made a lot of sense," said Shanahan, who cited his long-standing connection with PWHL executive vice president Jayna Hefford from her time leading the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association. "Hockey in general is a passion of mine, and so anything I can do to help, if needed." Tanenbaum said: "Hockey is in our DNA as Canadians, and few people embody that more than Brendan Shanahan. I'm thrilled to have him join us in building world-class women's sports organisations that inspire the next generation of athletes, fans, and leaders."
Shanahan, a Toronto native, played 21 seasons in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers, winning the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2002 with Detroit. He represented Canada internationally, winning the 1991 Canada Cup, the 1994 world championship and Olympic gold in 2002, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. After retiring in 2009 he served as the NHL's vice-president of hockey and business development and later senior vice president, before becoming Maple Leafs president in April 2014 — a post he held for 11 years until May 2025 when the club announced his contract would not be renewed. "You can't be someone who grew up in the city and not think back and reflect on the impact (the Maple Leafs had on his life)," Shanahan said. "It was a great honour, and I had an amazing experience."
Kilmer are the first and only Canadian investor in the PWHL since the league was established in 2023. Originally a six-team league, it expanded to eight last season and has added four more for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign. Shanahan will not be involved in the PWHL's day-to-day operations and will continue to consult with the NHL — where he has worked as a hockey operations consultant the past two seasons — alongside other projects, including a nine-month review of men's junior hockey in Ontario for Hockey Canada that began in January. "One of the things that was important to me, but also important to Larry, was I continued to do my work with the NHL and other projects, like I just finished with Hockey Canada," Shanahan said. "I'm taking advantage of a little bit more family time that I probably never really took from the moment I retired. I went to work probably I think two weeks after (I retired from playing)."