The 2026 NHL offseason has barely begun for some teams, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are already ensnared in drama.
At a press conference on Monday, Maple Leafs team president Keith Pelley introduced the club’s new general manager, John Chayka, and senior executive advisor of hockey operations, franchise legend Mats Sundin. Normally, when an NHL team brings in a new front office, there is hope and optimism for the future. But the Maple Leafs’ hire of Chayka has garnered the exact opposite: pessimism and intense concern.
Chayka takes over a Maple Leafs team that appears headed for some hard decisions after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. And, the 36-year-old Ontario native comes with a whole host of baggage, and perhaps more importantly, no record of success in the NHL.
In 2016, the Arizona Coyotes made history when they hired Chayka, then 26, making him the youngest GM in league history. During his tenure, the team went 131–147–38. His time with the team ended abruptly when he resigned just one day before the start of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, in which the Coyotes participated.
The explanation for Chayka’s strange departure came early the next year, when he was suspended from the NHL for “conduct detrimental to the league and game,” per league commissioner Gary Bettman. According to Bettman, Chayka had “breached his obligation to the club” by pursuing opportunities with other teams while still under contract with the Coyotes, and then quitting his job with three years remaining on his contract.
While that could be enough to stain any NHL GM’s reputation long term, the Coyotes, under Chayka’s management, were also found to have hosted a private scouting combine for draft prospects, which is strictly forbidden by the league. After the prohibited behavior came to light, the Coyotes were forced to forfeit their second-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft and their first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
“We conducted due diligence, and it was a deep due diligence,” Pelley said Monday. “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.”
Given the profound controversy surrounding Chayka and Pelley’s previous assertion that this hiring decision would be the most important of his time with the Maple Leafs, the two faced a whole host of uncomfortable questions from reporters. Among those questions, none was more contentious than those posed by the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons, who informed Pelley that many active NHL staff members believe Chayka is a fraud.
Press conference interaction between Steve Simmons and Keith Pelley
Simmons: You talk about the due diligence that you did on John prior to hiring him and now hiring him. In the past, say, three to four days, I have been in contact with about 20 people who work in the National Hockey League, many of whom are prominent names that we would all know. And of the 20 people I spoke to, one was supportive of John’s hiring, and the other 19 thought it was a sham, to be perfectly honest. Words were used like “con artist, liar, salesman.” How did you come to a different conclusion that I was able to come to in a very short time?
Pelley: I must have talked to different people.
Simmons: That’s it? Because I’m telling you the hockey world today is astounded by this announcement.
Pelley: Okay.
Simmons: And your response to that?
Pelley: Is we’ve conducted due diligence and it was deep due diligence. It was a thorough process and I’m quite happy with where we’ve landed.
Late last week, Simmons also told a story on the Off The Roster podcast, accusing Chayka of having six computers in his Coyotes office, with only one operable and the other five displaying fake information. The insinuation being that Chayka was trying to look more involved and more ahead of the curve than he actually was.
“At that moment, my conversation with John Chayka is over,” Simmons remarked.
Chayka was also recently investigated by the NHL before being hired by the Leafs, as the league looked into whether the GM had contacted an employee of another team without the franchise’s approval. The Leafs and Chayka cooperated with the inquiry, and the accusations were determined to be unsubstantiated.
Beyond concerns about Chayka’s reputation and aptitude for the job, his hiring has also adversely affected other positions in Toronto’s front office, according to NHL insiders. According to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, current assistant GM Shane Doan is no longer expected to stick with the team, as he and Chayka do not have a good relationship from their time with the Coyotes. And, according to Frank Seravalli, the Maple Leafs expressed interest in offering a significant advisory role to a well-known candidate, but that candidate declined because he did not want to work with Chayka.
Sundin seemingly did not have the same worries, as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer takes on his first post-playing career role in the NHL. Pelley admitted Monday that Sundin signed on without even knowing what his job title would be, and that the organization began its search for candidates without a preconceived plan for how it would structure its front office.
“I don’t worry about the risk (of harming my legacy),” Sundin said. “I think I have knowledge and experience from being a player here, being the captain here. I think great organizations also learn from earlier generations on what’s been done well and maybe mistakes that you don’t want to repeat. I think with that experience, I hope to contribute at all the levels, in terms of players, coaches, the people in the dressing room, but also with management.”
Mats Sundin’s remarks about his Maple Leafs legacy
The seemingly bungled hire has Maple Leafs fans, already on edge, worried that dark times lie ahead for the franchise. Next year, 2027, will mark 60 years since the Original Six franchise last won the Stanley Cup.
To Chayka’s credit, he acknowledged the concerns head-on in his opening remarks and emphasized that he wanted to open a new chapter with the Maple 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 said. “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.”
The Maple Leafs, and especially Pelley, will have to hope Chayka follows through on those words. He’ll start his tenure not even knowing if the team will keep its first-round draft pick next month. If Toronto moves out of the top five picks after Tuesday’s Draft Lottery, they will have to send their pick to the Boston Bruins as part of last year’s Brandon Carlo trade.
Chayka will also have to decide whether to commit to a full rebuild, which could mean trading star players, such as Auston Matthews, for future assets. Matthews has just two seasons remaining on his current contract at a $13.25 million cap hit.
