Reporter Takes Maple Leafs to Task Over Controversial John Chayka Hire

When the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the hiring of John Chayka to succeed Brad Treliving as general manager, it was met with shock, anger, and confusion.

Chayka has a history of being a lightning rod.

He resigned as GM of the Arizona Coyotes back in July 2020 one day before the playoffs began. The Coyotes also were forced to forfeit their 2020 second-round pick and their 2021 first-round pick after they broke NHL rules and conducted illegal pre-draft testing of over 20 CHL prospects prior to the 2020 draft during Chayka's tenure.

He was also suspended by the NHL for the full calendar year in 2021 for “conduct detrimental to the league and game” because he was pursuing other opportunities while still under contract with the Coyotes, which the league said “breached his obligation to the club."

So when Maple Leafs president and CEO Keith Pelley tried selling Chayka's hire as a turning point for the organization, Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons held his feet to the fire while demanding he explain himself.

"You talk about the due diligence that you did on John prior to hiring him and now hiring him," Simmons said. "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'. How did you come to a different conclusion that I was able to come to in a very short time?"

Pelley replied: "I must have talked to different people."

"That's it?" Simmons scoffed. "Because the hockey world today is astounded by this announcement."

Pelley responded: "We've conducted due diligence, and it was deep due diligence, it was a thorough process, and I'm quite happy with where we landed."

The consensus on social media was that Pelley's responses only painted himself and the franchise in a poor light.

Chayka's reputation in the hockey community is less than sterling, and the fact that he's been out of the league for six years is a reflection of how everyone outside of Toronto perceives him.

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 8:49 PM.