The Toronto Maple Leafs shared the first photo of their new management group ahead of Monday’s press conference introducing them.
On Sunday, the Maple Leafs announced they have hired former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka as the team’s new GM. As well, Maple Leafs legend Mats Sundin has rejoined the franchise as a senior advisor. The hires are official, and both Chayka and Sundin will be joined today in Toronto by MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley to take questions from the media.
Maple Leafs Share First Photo of John Chayka and Mats Sundin in Action
Ahead of today’s media availability, the team shared a photo of Chayka, Sundin, and Pelley in the Maple Leafs’ locker room on social media.
Press Conference at 1pm
“Day 1. Press Conference at 1 pm,” the team’s caption on X wrote.
For the Maple Leafs, this move marks an important crossroads in the franchise’s history. The Maple Leafs missed the playoffs this season for the first time in a decade, which necessitated change. The first move was firing former Leafs GM Brad Treliving from his post in March. The next may be replacing head coach Craig Berube, but the latest reports have him returning to the team. News about Berube’s future will likely be addressed at Monday’s press conference, and on Tuesday, the NHL Draft Lottery takes place, so this is a huge week for the franchise.
Maple Leafs Seek New Vision
The Maple Leafs had a terrible season, which embarrassed the upper brass at MLSE, and it necessitated change, leading to Treliving’s ousting.
The Leafs had to sign a new GM, and after a long and thorough search, they settled on the 36-year-old Chayka as their new leader. He previously served as GM of the Coyotes from 2016 to 2020, and his overall tenure in the desert was marred by lots of losing and plenty of controversies. Still, he was only 26 when the Coyotes first hired him, and the hope is that he has learned a lot from his mistakes and can bring more stability and experience to the Maple Leafs this time around.
When the Leafs were searching for their new GM, Pelley made it clear that he wanted someone who was analytics savvy, and Chayka fit that to a T, as he is one of the first NHL executives to really lean into the numbers. Although his first go-around as a GM in Arizona did not go as anyone had hoped, the Maple Leafs clearly liked what he brought to the table and hired him after several rounds of interviews.
As for Sundin, he is arguably the greatest Leafs player of all time. At age 55, he will be moving his family from Sweden to Toronto to take on this job as senior advisor, giving Chayka support as he looks to help build a winning team in Toronto again. Sundin has no previous NHL management experience, but he knows hockey as well as anyone, and the hope is that he can use his knowledge and connections to contribute to a winning culture with the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs Share First Photo of New Management Group