Newfoundland coach Eric Wellwood was unavailable after entering COVID-19 protocol earlier this week. Goyette, a Hockey Hall of Famer, is in her first season as director of player development for the Maple Leafs and worked with a staff including assistant Nathan McIver, video coach Ryan Stacey and goaltending coach Marek Benda. Newfoundland lost 9-2.
"I always say, when you put yourself outside your comfort zone, good things come out of it," Goyette said after the game. "The fact that we lost the game tonight, it's a different feeling because I hate losing. Maybe I would have felt different with a win, but for me it's about the team and doing the right thing."
As for how she felt leading up to the game, she said, "To be honest, I was a bit nervous when I said yes, but at the end of the day it was about the team and what was best for them."
Goyette was hired by the Maple Leafs on May 17 after coaching the women's hockey team at the University of Calgary for 13 seasons, guiding the Dinos to the CIS championship in 2011-12.
As a forward, Goyette helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics and 2006 Turin Olympics, and eight titles at the IIHF Women's World Championship. She was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017 and named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2018.
"It's a dream come true," Goyette said when she was hired by the Maple Leafs. "When we talk about playing hockey as a girl, you want to play [in the] NHL, but there comes a point when you know it's not going to happen.
"Now everything is changing, and I feel lucky that I'm able to open some doors. It's not just about us, but it's about female sport as well. Having women in sport, having roles that make a difference in the NHL, for me, it's pretty amazing to be in that position. I think we will keep pushing each other, that is what we have done our whole career."
