John Chayka’s appointment as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs has drawn criticism with former NHL player Ryan Whitney pointing to his past decisions in Arizona.
A lot of that goes back to what happened with the Arizona Coyotes. During his tenure the team lost draft picks after breaking league rules tied to pre-draft testing. He was later suspended by commissioner Gary Bettman after pursuing opportunities with other teams while still under contract.
Speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast Whitney said his first reaction to the hiring was negative and pointed to how Chayka handled things during his time with the Coyotes.
“I’ve gotta be honest as a total outsider as a Toronto Maple Leafs hater, John Chayka being hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, I just want to say that they are not a serious organization. That’s just based on his past, not being in the league (for so long). Now maybe, the guy manages to turn things around, but the original thought of the hiring is like, ‘what the f**k?’…
If people are confused, when Chayka took over the Coyotes, he had a true legend of that org, Shane Doan, willing to be there, willing to be a part of it and help do whatever he can and Chayka just pigeon-tossed him,” Whitney said.
Other voices around the league have also questioned the move. Steve Simmons raised the issue during the introductory press conference where he directly asked MLSE president Keith Pelley about the decision.
Simmons said conversations he had across the NHL painted a very different picture of Chayka adding that only one out of nearly 20 people he spoke to supported the hiring. He also pointed out that several within the league used strong terms such as “con artist,” “liar” and “salesman” while describing Chayka.
John Chayka speaks on the past as Coyotes exit resurfaces
John Chayka also spoke about his past in a statement shared on X. Chayka said he understands why there are questions about his time in Arizona.
“I understand there will be a lot of questions about my past in Arizona. I’ve made decisions I’m proud of and I’ve made mistakes I’ve learned from. I’m human. I stayed off the grid, stayed obsessed with the game.”
John Chayka was hired by the Arizona Coyotes in May 2016 at 26 becoming the youngest general manager in NHL history. The team went 131–147–38 during his four seasons.
His exit in July 2020 remains one of the more talked-about moments from that stretch. He stepped down a day before the playoffs which caught the organization off guard.
Edited by Sonali Verma
