Maple Leafs hiring John Chayka as new GM is ‘like a nightmare’ from Shane Doan’s past
Larry Fitzgerald will obtain a fairytale end to his legendary profession in Arizona. It will come within the type of a gold jacket and Hall of Fame induction later this summer time.
Shane Doan is nonetheless ready for his completely satisfied ending.
The former Coyotes legend was anticipated to lose his job with the Toronto Maple Leafs On Monday after the membership launched a new management group. Toronto introduced in a franchise legend in Mats Sundin to serve as a senior advisor and deodorant for his or her new common supervisor, John Chayka. You may bear in mind the identify.
The hockey gods have a sick humorousness.
Chayka turned the Coyotes GM in 2016 on the tender age of 26. He was billed as an analytics wunderkind. I’ve turned out to be a fraud.
In June 2017, Chayka invited Doan to breakfast at First Watch in Scottsdale. Doan assumed the younger GM wished the captain’s enter and recommendation transferring ahead into the offseason. Instead, eight minutes into the assembly, Doan was informed he was not wished.
Doan stated it felt like a callous company firing and he left on the spot, in ache and disgust, with out breakfast. After 21 years of utmost loyalty – the place he served as the healthful, completely satisfied, goodwill ambassador to probably the most dysfunctional sports activities franchises in historical past – Doan was fired by a charlatan. The brusque remedy of a native legend rocked the Valley to its core.
Doan was 40 on the time and wished another season, even prepared to simply accept a demotion to the fourth line. After he stored the franchise afloat for the higher a part of 20 years… after he alone stored season ticket holders coming again 12 months after 12 months… the Coyotes wouldn’t let him retire on their phrases.
It stays probably the most despicable acts in Arizona sports activities historical past, and Chayka would quickly present his colours. He was on the middle of scandals close to the top of his tenure and abruptly give up on the group earlier than the COVID-19 bubble playoffs in 2020. He has been out of the NHL ever since.
Until he confirmed up in Toronto on Monday like a nightmare from Doan’s past.
Wait, there’s extra. After the departure of the group to Alex Meruelo, Doan returned to the Coyotes as Chief Hockey Development Officer in January 2021. Old wounds started to heal. His son, Josh, was drafted with the 37th total decide. To the delight of Coyotes followers, his bloodline was coursing via the group as soon as once more.
But when Doan had requested for a promotion to director of hockey operations, the proprietor’s son had the gall to inform Captain Coyote that he wasn’t prepared for the job. And that was the final indignity he would undergo.
Doan got here from Winnipeg when the franchise moved right here within the mid-1990’s. He has handled scandals, horrible homeowners, low-cost rosters, threats of chapter, swallowing each type of embarrassment conceivable for a prideful hockey participant. But Doan by no means stopped believing in a higher future. And the Coyotes by no means stopped letting him down.
If poetic justice is to be served, Mat Ishbia will step up and purchase an enlargement group inside the subsequent 5 years; identify Doan as group president; and watch him recruit Josh Doan from Buffalo and Scottsdale native Auston Matthews from Toronto. Maybe throw within the Tkachuk boys for a actual run on the Stanley Cup.
In skilled sports activities, loyalty could be a landmine. Doan realized the laborious means. It’s about time somebody offers him the completely satisfied ending he deserves.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 am – 10 am on Arizona Sports 98.7.
