The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club’s Sport Performance department will be led by Andy O’Brien as its Vice President, Sport Performance. In his role, O’Brien will oversee all areas of the Maple Leafs organization pertaining to performance optimization including Strength and Conditioning, Sport Science, Sports Nutrition, Injury Rehabilitation and Mental Performance.
Joining O’Brien’s staff are Dr. Craig Slaunwhite as Director, Health and Performance Integration, Jason Martin as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Josh Crouse as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, while Dr. Jordan Shallow will join as Human Performance Consultant.
“We are thrilled to welcome Andy and his sports performance team to the Toronto Maple Leafs and look forward to the impact they will have on the organization,” said Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager John Chayka. “Providing every resource possible to help our players perform at their best is the highest priority at every level of the organization. Our ownership group has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to investing in player care, the player experience, and the resources required to help our players succeed every day. We will continue to invest in every opportunity to maximize the development and performance of every player. Andy’s record as an innovator and winner, coupled with his values, philosophy and vision, are wholly aligned with what we are building here in Toronto.”
O’Brien, 48, is the founder and president of O’Brien Sport, bringing over 25 years of experience to the Maple Leafs having held multiple roles in athlete performance across different industries. Most recently, he has worked for Cizzle Brands Inc. as their Chief Performance Officer since 2024 and Junxion Performance as Director of Sport Science, Player Health & Performance since 2021, while also serving as High Performance Consultant for the Florida Panthers since 2021. In his role with the Panthers, O’Brien oversaw a rebuild of the club’s performance and sport science program, while assisting with the design and completion of the Panthers’ new practice facility.
Previously, the Charlottetown, P.E.I., native held the role of Director of Sports Science and Performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2015-21 where he developed the club’s off-ice training strategy and integrated sport science into the team’s daily operations. His experience working with NHL teams began with the Panthers in 2005 where he served as the team’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for four years.
In his time with the Panthers and Penguins, O’Brien has worked with four Stanley Cup winning teams (2016, 2017, 2024, 2025) across five appearances in the Stanley Cup Final and a Presidents’ Trophy winner (2022).
His private training practice has supported elite athletes in various competitive fields across both professional and Olympic sport, including Maple Leafs forward John Tavares. In addition, his High Performance Camps, which have been held annually over the past 20 years in both Vail, Colorado and Halifax, Nova Scotia, have regularly hosted his personal clients and the most decorated players in the NHL.
"I’m incredibly honoured to join the Maple Leafs,” said O’Brien. “From my first discussions with John and the leadership group, it was clear that this organization is dedicated to industry-leading player care and supporting the individual athlete in every way possible. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with such an exceptional staff as we serve our players en route to our ultimate goal."
O’Brien has an M.S. in Kinesiology from A.T. Still University and earned a B.A. in Psychology from Western University.
Slaunwhite joins the Maple Leafs as Director, Health and Performance Integration having most recently served in Director of High Performance roles for the Shanghai Dragons (KHL), Jordan Basketball Federation and Acadia University. He has previously supported multiple teams including the Columbus Blue Jackets as Health and Performance Advisor, SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL) as Director of High Performance, Sacramento Kings (NBA) as Head Performance Coach, Winnipeg Jets as Director of High Performance and Florida Panthers as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. Slaunwhite has a Doctor, Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and a B.Sc. from Dalhousie University in Kinesiology and Exercise Science.
Martin comes to the Maple Leafs as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, having spent the past three seasons as Player Development Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, while also serving as Manager, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Junxion Performance in Toronto. He has spent the past 12 years in high performance coaching, supporting professional athletes across multiple disciplines including hockey, tennis and baseball. Martin holds a B.Ed. in Physical and Health Education from McGill University where he also competed for the men’s lacrosse program.
Crouse enters the role of Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, after spending the 2025-26 hockey season as Director of Performance with the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL). Prior to joining the Mooseheads, he spent seven years at St. Francis Xavier Athletics in the role of Head of Sports Performance, while also serving as a Skill Instructor in the Human Kinetics Department at the University. He began his career in the space as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Acadia University, where he led training for five varsity programs, and supported local youth training initiatives. He holds an M.Ed. from St. Francis Xavier in Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching, as well as a B. Kin. from Acadia University in Kinesiology and Exercise Science.
Shallow joins the hockey club as Human Performance Consultant having worked with teams and athletes across the NHL, NFL and MLB, in addition to supporting athletes in professional tennis and bodybuilding. He is the Co-Founder and President of Pre-Script, a biomechanics and resistance training certification program, since 2016. Previously, he served as Medical Director at House of Athlete in Weston Florida from 2021-23 and was Strength and Conditioning coach for the Rugby programs at Stanford University from 2017-19. He holds a Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic and a Bachelor of Health Sciences – Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Sheridan College.
