Hayley Moore has been hired as VP of hockey operations of the AHL, making her one of the highest-ranking female hockey executives in North America. Moore will oversee officiating and league discipline for the AHL, which is the top development league for all 31 NHL teams.

The 34-year-old Moore, currently the GM of the NWHL's Boston Pride, will begin work on Feb. 8, following the conclusion of the NWHL season.

"Growing up, I didn't envision a career working in hockey because I didn't really see it as an opportunity," Moore told ESPN.

She was a biology major at Brown University and after retiring as a player, initially took a job in consulting. However, as Moore navigated her post-playing career -- which has included a coaching stint at Harvard, overseeing a high school athletic department and girls' hockey programs in Massachusetts, and a two-year tenure as the NWHL's deputy commissioner and director of player development -- she re-calibrated her goals.

"I really felt confident going after this position [with the AHL] because of my experience," Moore said.

The AHL position became open in October, when Mike Murray was hired as assistant general manager of the Minnesota Wild. AHL president and CEO Scott Howson put out an email to all professional leagues in North America asking for candidates.

"We got a ton of applications," Howson said. "We narrowed it down to 15 interviews, then six or seven finalists, then it really got reduced to three. She was in the mix as a leader through the process. What really came through with Hayley was her passion and love for the sport, as well as her work ethic. I just felt she was the right choice for this right now; I feel so good about this hire."

According to Howson, Moore was the only woman to apply for the job.

She will be the second VP on staff at the AHL. Melissa Caruso, who began as an intern in 2009, has been the league's VP of hockey administration since 2015.

Moore previously oversaw the NWHL's discipline, including establishing the first player safety committee and building out league bylaws. The AHL is a much smaller operation than the NHL. According to Howson, there are only 10 staffers in the league office -- and only 15 before the pandemic.

"She will fit really well into our culture because you have to wear a lot of jobs in this office outside your job description," said Howson, who started with the AHL in July after two decades in the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets front offices. "In the women's game, they work hard. It's such an uphill climb to even get a league up and running. There's a lot of hard work that goes into that."

The NWHL is entering its sixth season -- which will be condensed into a two-week bubble in Lake Placid, New York, from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5. Moore said it was a hard decision to leave, and she wishes the league continued success going forward. (She is already a Boston Pride season ticket-holder for next year).

The AHL is targeting a Feb. 5 start date for its 2021 season, and it will be one with unprecedented hurdles. Three teams (Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals and Springfield Thunderbirds) have elected to opt out while four teams were granted provisional re-locations.

Howson is excited for Moore to jump on board.

"This summer, there's been great progress for women in sports -- from the [Miami Marlins] hiring a woman as GM for the first time to more opportunities to women in the NHL," Howson said. "It's all long overdue. While this is a significant hire, I just wanted to get the right hire, and I'm confident we have that with Hayley. "

Added Moore: "If a young girl sees my career path, I hope she is inspired to think bigger and know that anything is possible."