Maple Leafs shape front office with Mats Sundin, John Chayka

D Toronto Maple Leafs The team has hired a surprise combination in former star player Mats Sundin and former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chaika to lead their front office, the team announced Sunday.

Sundin will be the team’s senior executive advisor for hockey operations. Chayka is the 19th GM in franchise history, succeeding Brad Treliving. The Maple Leafs missed the playoffs this season and haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967, the NHL’s longest active championship drought.

“Today is an important day for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization,” Keith Pell, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to welcome John and Mats to their roles, two great hockey minds who will strengthen our entire hockey club. From the beginning of this process, it’s been about building a championship-caliber team for our fans and our city, and today is an important step toward that goal.”

The Maple Leafs fired Treliving — who had served as GM through May 2023 — after the season. Toronto cast a wide net for his replacement, interviewing executives with previous general manager experience such as Mike Gillis. Vancouver Canucksas well as rising star assistant GMs such as Scott White (Dallas Stars), Ryan Martin (New York Rangers) and Evan Gould (Boston Bruins) mentioned a name significantly in their search Florida Panthers Assistant GM Sunny Mehta, who was quickly hired New Jersey Devils As their new general manager.

Sundin, 55, is a Hockey Hall of Fame center who played 13 seasons with the Maple Leafs and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He has never been in an NHL front-office before but has been around the Maple Leafs in recent years, including in training camp.

According to multiple sources, Sundin’s role as a senior advisor is nothing extra: he is expected to have a significant impact on the team’s direction on and off the ice.

Officially, the Maple Leafs say Sundin will be a “strategic advisor and provide support across hockey operations with a focus on team culture, player development and leadership support.”

The 36-year-old Chayka was the youngest general manager in major league sports history when he was hired by the Arizona Coyotes in May 2016 at the age of 26. He joined them a year ago as assistant general manager after co-founding Stathletes, a hockey analytics company working with Canadian junior teams.

“I am honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and excited to work with Mats and the entire organization,” Chayka said in a statement. “This is one of the most historic franchises in hockey, with a passionate fan base that wants to win. I’m focused on building a team that is competitive, driven and relentless – one that is in the best position to win for our fans and for the city of Toronto.”

The Coyotes made the playoffs once during Chaika’s tenure as general manager. They ceased operations in 2024 with the remainder of the franchise used to launch the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City.

Chayka’s time with the Coyotes had some moments of controversy. Chayka resigned before the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2020 when he sought a new opportunity outside the organization after he broke up with Coyotes owner Alex Meruello. Sources told ESPN at the time that the opportunity was with Devils owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer.

The NHL has suspended Chayka from working in the league until 2021 for what NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called “conduct detrimental to the league and the game” by the teams. In an unrelated matter, the Coyotes were stripped of two draft picks for violating the scouting combine’s policy of conducting physical exams on draft-eligible players. This happened when Chaika was the GM of the team.

Chayka did not return to the NHL after parting ways with the Coyotes in 2020. He was CEO of JKC Capital, a firm that operates Wendy’s and Tim Horton’s franchises in Canada.

The Maple Leafs will officially announce the hiring of Sundin and Chayka at a news conference on Monday.

Chief among the questions for the new officials: How does the club want to rebuild after missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons and where is the star center? Auston Matthews Fits that plan. Matthews, 28, signed through 2028 with a $13.25 million cap hit.