There is a new general manager in town for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the hiring has sparked controversy around the league.

Following the firing of Brad Treliving on March 30, the Leafs were on a search for the next GM, and they landed on John Chayka.

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The @MapleLeafs have hired John Chayka as their new general manager. 🍁

8:38 PM · May 3, 2026

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Chayka has been away from the game for six years after stepping down from the Arizona Coyotes in 2020. In Arizona, he left the team upon being discovered for draft tampering, holding private scouting events for the top prospects of the 2020 NHL draft. Commissioner Gary Bettman also said Chayka violated the league’s “conduct detrimental to the league and game” rules and had “breached his obligation to the club” by speaking with other teams around the league while under contract with the Coyotes.

After his misconduct was discovered by the league, the team was forced to surrender their 2020 second-round and 2021 first-round draft picks.

During a press conference on Monday, Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley spoke about the organization’s decision to hire Chayka.

“When we identified an opportunity to go in a different direction and bring two complementary hockey minds like John and Mats together, we jumped on it,” Pelley said, also referencing the hiring of former Leafs superstar Mats Sundin as the senior advisor of hockey operations. “These gentlemen are totally focused on bringing the Stanley Cup to Toronto. Big decisions will be collective. On a day-to-day basis, John is the general manager of hockey operations, but it will be collaborative throughout the entire process.”

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Keith Pelley shares why he thinks John Chayka is the right man for the Leafs GM role.

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5:25 PM · May 4, 2026

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As for the concerns regarding what happened in Arizona, Pelley emphasizes that the organization is not worried about their new hiring.

“We’ve done extensive due diligence, and I’m confident in where we landed,” Pelley........

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