Simply put, hockey is sacred in Canada, hockey is Toronto, and Toronto is hockey. But now, the club is bringing in John Chayka as general manager, a man with a chequered reputation.
The big problem in Toronto is that the Maple Leafs last captured hockey’s holy grail in 1967. How do you revive faded glory? After more failed attempts, the club’s management decided to bring in a new general manager.
In the past decade, even big names like Lou Lamoriello, the talented Kyle Dubas, and Brad Treliving - who was behind Jaromir Jagr's last stint in Calgary - have all failed to turn things around.
But to the point: Toronto need a reset. The year 2027 will mark 60 years since their last Stanley Cup. Yes, the Maple Leafs really last won in 1967. Since then, they have been the butt of jokes more than anything. Then on Monday, something almost unimaginable happened at the media gathering…
When club president Keith Pelley introduced club legend Mats Sundin as an advisor and, alongside him, the new 36-year-old general manager Chayka, journalist and columnist Steve Simmons from the Toronto Sun stood up and posed a startling statement...
"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’," Simmons was quoted as saying.
"I must have talked to different people," Pelley replied.
The situation Toronto find themselves in really does call for a new general manager. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to hire an innovator who can analyse, understand numbers, and look at hockey through the lens of data. The problem is, Chayka is a highly controversial figure who already left the NHL once in disgrace.
'Chayka is a fake'
Chayka became the youngest general manager in NHL history in May 2016, at just 26 years old. But when Arizona made the playoffs for the first time under his leadership in 2020, he resigned the day before the postseason began.
He was then suspended by the NHL for conduct detrimental to the league, with the explanation that Chayka "violated his duty to the club" by seeking opportunities with other teams while still under contract with the Coyotes, and walked out three years before his deal was up.
It later emerged that under Chayka’s direction, Arizona held private tests for draft prospects, circumventing league rules. As a result, the Coyotes had to forfeit their second-round pick in the 2020 draft and their first-round pick in 2021.
"This is incredible. Chayka was a total fraud here. Cost the Coyotes first and second round picks for cheating. Quit on the team right before the bubble. Stabbed Don Maloney in the back to get the gig here.
"The way he treated Shane Doan was despicable - wanted him GONE - would not even consider letting him play one last year on the third line - was just jealous of him. Chayka is a fake. Only his connection to Ty Domi is getting him this job," raged insider John Gambadoro on his Twitter account, who, as a radio reporter for Sports Radio Talk Show, covered the Arizona Coyotes.
"There are things I’m proud of, and there are mistakes I’ve learned from," said the NHL’s youngest-ever general manager on the subject.
All of North American hockey is watching Toronto’s moves, and for example, former defenseman Keith Yandle didn’t hold back on his Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. "This will go down as one of the worst moves in NHL history," he said.
For context, Yandle was a longtime Arizona mainstay, but never crossed paths with Chayka at the club.
Tasks awaiting Chayka in Toronto
But back to Toronto. The new GM faces a hot summer and a very tough job overall. The team around captain Auston Matthews is slowly ageing, finished 30 points worse than last season, missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years, and there’s no guarantee they’ll make it next year, let alone challenge for the trophy.
Matthews has two years left on his contract, and it’s unclear what his relationship with Chayka is like. It’s possible he could be traded.
The second task concerns coach Craig Berube. The general feeling is that he’ll stay. Not necessarily because he deserves it, but because he still has $6 million left on his contract and the Leafs need to save money.
In any case, Chayka is a stats guy. That’s his strength. And under Berube, the team’s stats were dreadful. If Toronto doesn’t want to sacrifice another season just to get back into the draft lottery and have a shot at a top prospect, they’ll have to find someone new.
The Leafs simply don’t have a roster that can even compete with the league’s middle tier next season. The team has aged, the defence is slow, and they lack young, fast puck-moving players who have transformed the league over the past five years. While rivals have landed players like Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Lane Hutson, or Matthew Schaefer, Toronto doesn’t have that type of player.
Unfortunately, there are also voices saying the new GM doesn’t have the best hockey sense, and for example, his last draft pick was a disaster. Passing on Matt Boldy, Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, or Peyton Krebs is not exactly a great look...
A city steeped in legends
Toronto is a city full of legends. Many of them were raised in the Maple Leafs Garden, and one of them is Mats Sundin.
The Swedish great is now taking on a tough role. The title of advisor is a vague one, and he’s likely meant to be a shield for Chayka’s tenure.
It’s clear fans have a soft spot for the Swede, and they were pleased to see him congratulate Matthews on surpassing the 420-goal mark - a club record Sundin himself held for many years. Sundin is moving back to Toronto, bringing his wife and three children from Stockholm.
The Maple Leafs are entering a new chapter. Restoring the club’s success, however, will take years of hard work. During that time, Chayka will be building not just a new era in Toronto, but also his own reputation. Whether he succeeds and joins the ranks of the chosen few is anyone’s guess.
Only three general managers have their names on Toronto's thirteen Stanley Cups - Charles Querrie (two), Conn Smythe (seven), and Punch Imlach (four). Some of those names may sound familiar. The playoff MVP trophy is named after Smythe, and Imlach is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Maple Leafs fans aren’t exactly thrilled right now; they’re more likely to believe in miracles and supernatural forces. After all, they’ve been clinging to one particular legend for years...
You may have read about the story of Bill Barilko. This guy scored the goal that clinched the Maple Leafs’ 1951 triumph. Then he disappeared. During the summer celebrations, he vanished. His body was found 11 years later at a plane crash site. And it was those 11 years that marked the last time Toronto waited for a Stanley Cup in the last century.