Leafs new hockey ops president John Chayka discusses past

TORONTO — Keith Pelley stated hiring the Maple Leafs’ subsequent administration group could be the largest choice of his tenure as crew CEO. After an “exhaustive” search, Pelley launched John Chayka because the membership’s common supervisor of hockey operations, and franchise legend Mats Sundin as a senior advisor.

Hiring Chayka in a managerial position is a controversial one after his historical past with the Arizona Coyotes.

“We conducted due diligence, and it was a deep due diligence,” Pelley stated. “It was a thorough process. I’ve read all the reports, I’ve talked to numerous people, I won’t reveal who I’ve talked to that were close to the process. I’m very happy with where we landed.”

Pelley claimed to have “no concerns” over Chayka’s past inside the league, which has come underneath scrutiny once more in a high-profile place. The 36-year-old grew to become the NHL’s youngest-ever GM when he was employed 10 years in the past by the Coyotes to fill their GM slot.

Chayka unexpectedly resigned from his publish with the Coyotes in July 2020 — at some point earlier than the playoffs have been set to start within the pandemic-shortened season. In January 2021, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman declared Chyka had been suspended for the reminder of the 2021 calendar 12 months on account of “conduct detrimental to the league and game.” Bettman stated Chayka had “breached his obligation to [the Coyotes]” by pursuing different alternatives outdoors the crew and terminating his take care of three years remaining.

Later it got here out that Chayka and the Coyotes had hosted non-public occasions for prospects out of the NHL Scouting Combine — one thing that is strictly prohibited — and Arizona needed to forfeit a second-round choose in 2020 and first-round alternative in 2021.

Chayka hasn’t manned an NHL entrance workplace place since his suspension, and taking over the publish made vacant by Brad Treliving’s firing in April is hardly dipping his toe again into the enterprise. The Jordan Station, Ontario native, acknowledged in his opening remarks on Monday that issues over his indiscretions have been inevitable however he was targeted on beginning a new chapter for himself — and the Leafs.

“I understand (there) will be lots of questions about my path, about my time away from the game, and about my time in Arizona,” Chayka stated. “That experience shaped me, required discipline, creativity and resilience. I’ve made decisions I’m proud of, and I’ve also made mistakes that I’ve learned from. I’m human now in all of it, and I’m better because of it.”

Pelley was on the lookout for Toronto’s successor at GM to be “data-driven,” and Chayka was a pioneer of kinds in that respect when he joined the Coyotes in 2016. The Leafs’ government leaned on Neil Glansberg of The Coaches Agency to vet candidates for the GM job, however Pelley denied rumors about Glansberg influencing his hiring of Chayka.

“He didn’t have a vote,” stated Pelley of Glansberg. “But I have facilitated everything [in the process]”

Even Chayka can admit the sport has modified since he was suspended so he and Sundin will likely be underneath the microscope as they work in tandem to get Toronto again on monitor.

“I’ve been going around, meeting different organizations across the globe, to see what organizations look like, how they’re structured, looking at other resources and other creative competitive advantages,” stated Chayka. “From ownership down through the players, it was an incredibly valuable lens. I think if I had not been a general manager previously, that would be more concerning… but I’ve sat in the chair.”

There’s little question Chayka has his work reduce out for him in Toronto. The Leafs are coming off a dismal common season effort by which they completed second-to-last within the Atlantic Division and missed the playoffs for the primary time since 2016-17. Chayka stated he has spoken with head coach Craig Berube and can meet with him once more forward of what could be Berube’s third season behind Toronto’s bench.

Chayka could have Sundin to learn on as they re-tool the crew. Sundin captained the Leafs for 10 years whereas spending 13 of his 18 profession seasons in Toronto. But he has by no means held a front-office place within the NHL.

There is historical past between him and Chayka that goes again to minor league hockey, and Pelley felt instantly they’d be snug collectively. It was due to that he did not really feel the necessity to give one in every of them particular senior standing over the opposite.

According to Pelley, Sundin (actually) did not even know what he was signing up for.

“I don’t even think Mats knew what his contract title was until he got the contract itself,” Pelley stated. “I can tell you unequivocally that these two gentlemen are totally focused on one thing, and that’s bringing the Stanley Cup to Toronto.”

Pelley had beforehand spoken about naming a definite GM and head of hockey operations however in the long run selected totally different titles for Chayka and Sundin.

“We had no preconceived notions about what structure that we were going to actually move towards,” Pelley stated. “But once we got into the process, and as we got deeper into it, that this mix with John and Matt was one that was going to be formidable, and there’s no specific reason for it. It was just, this is the structure. It’s a different structure, but I think it’ll be a winning structure.”

In some ways, it is Pelley’s status on the road now as he backs Chayka as the best candidate to place Toronto again on prime. Chayka does know Leafs’ captain Austin Matthews — a local of Scottsdale, Arizona — and realizing Matthews has simply two years remaining on his contract will likely be a consider how shortly Chayka wants to show issues round.

“I think it’s incumbent upon us to put the best team on the ice that we can,” stated Chayka. “It’s going to have to take some creativity. We’re going to have to have some things go our way, but we certainly feel like we’re well positioned with a core group. We have some players that are some of the best players in the world that wear this sweater, and it’s [on me] to place the structure principles and give them the resources to go and achieve our goals.”