On their first day as the new leaders in hockey operations for the Maple Leafs, John Chayka and Mats Sundin joined Real Kyper & Bourne to discuss their process of assessing the organization, charting a path forward, the culture they’re seeking to build, and whether Auston Matthews and William Nylander are “untouchables.” How did the […]
The post John Chayka on whether the Leafs are still building around Matthews & Nylander going forward: “That’s a fair assessment… We are talking about world-...
After his introductory press conference as the 19th GM in Maple Leafs history, John Chayka discussed the media pressure in Toronto, his reputation around the league, the challenge of retooling the roster, and his relationship with Mats Sundin. What does it mean to you to be the GM of this team? Chayka: It is special. […]
The post John Chayka on the questions about his reputation around the NHL: “I have a lot of really great relationships around the league… I was able to do a lot of transacti...
After his introductory press conference as the Maple Leafs’ new Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations, Mats Sundin discussed his decision to transition into a managerial role, the backlash surrounding John Chayka’s hiring, his familiarity with European hockey/prospects, and the opportunity to work with William Nylander and Auston Matthews. What made this the right time […]
The post Mats Sundin on the backlash surrounding John Chayka as the Leafs’ new GM: “I’ve watched John for a long...
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. The MapleLeafs have hired John Chayka as their…
The Toronto Maple Leafs have now entered the John Chayka/Mats Sundin era. What a time to be alive in Leafs Nation. The management duo was introduced at a press conference in Toronto on Monday, and it's obvious there's been a lot of pushback from opposing teams around the league over hiring Chayka back into a GM position, and for Sundin, it's certainly a huge risk to his legacy as a Leaf. Heading into the offseason, there's going to be significant change coming to the Maple Leafs roster, which ...
Wow. After weeks of "due diligence" to come up with their new general manager, MLSE President Keith Pelley probably didn't expect a question like this at the big news conference to introduce John Chayka (and Mats Sundin). Reporter Steve Simmons stood up at the media event and told Pelley, with Chayka seated beside him, that 19 of 20 prominent NHL people Simmons talked to called the hiring "a sham" and referred to Chayka as a "con artist", a "liar" and "salesman." Toronto is hockey cinema...
Leave it to the Toronto Maple Leafs to be nothing short of a source of entertainment. In a move that took the hockey world by surprise, the Leafs announced Sunday they hired John Chayka as general manager, and Mats Sundin as senior executive advisor. The Sundin news was tolerable, given his 13-years as a player…
The newest General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Chayka, discussed his childhood connection to the franchise, the interview process, his controversial exit from Arizona, and his plans for the first few weeks on the job. Opening Statements Chayka: This is not just a job. Being the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs […]
The post John Chayka on the importance of selling Auston Matthews on a winning vision in Toronto: “I just came from an organization where we spent our entire...
MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley discussed the hiring of Mats Sundin and John Chayka into senior management positions with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Opening Statements Pelley: We are here today, but we are coming off a heartbreaking loss last night for the Raptors in Cleveland. I can tell you that the Raptors were the […]
The post Keith Pelley on the rumours surrounding Tie Domi’s involvement in Chayka’s hiring as Leafs GM: “There have been countless erroneous reports and inaccurate inform...
The Maple Leafs’ new Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations, Mats Sundin, discussed his decision to move back to Toronto to join the Leafs’ management and what he can bring to the organization’s front office. Opening Statements Sundin: I am extremely proud and excited to be sitting here today. I am very emotionally connected to […]
The post Mats Sundin on working with John Chayka in Leafs management: “We have the same vision of what a winning team looks like… I think we’re going to co...
The Edmonton Oilers extended a handful of players before the start of the 2025-26 season. Chief among them was Connor McDavid, who agreed to a two-year deal worth $12.5 million, the same annual average value as his previous contract. That set the deadline for the Oilers’ window of contention. With the extra money, the Blue…
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The Ottawa Senators were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and GM Steve Staios enters the offseason with a clear and specific list of things he wants to address.
Near the top of that list, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun , is a reliable backup goaltender.
Staios intends to go shopping for one this summer.
James Reimer, who signed with Ottawa midway through the season after clearing a professional tryout with the Toronto Maple Leafs...
Head coach John Gruden discusses the Toronto Marlies taking a 2-1 series lead against the Laval Rocket with a 6-2 victory in Game 3. On the team’s performance: It starts right away with us taking advantage of a power play. That carries over to the five-on-five game as well. I thought they set the tone. […]
The post John Gruden on Mats Sundin joining the Leafs’ front office: “His name speaks for itself… We’re excited to work with him as a staff” appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
This really is a whole new era because the new boss is nothing like the old boss.
And there it is. After all the rumors and predictions, the Toronto Maple Leafs have officially hired Mats Sundin and John Chayka to run their new hockey operations department, per insider Elliotte Friedman. An official announcement is coming today. Elliotte Friedman reports that the Leafs have hired John Chayka as GM and Mats Sundin as Senior Executive Advisor pic.twitter.com/jUR9OR37pV — TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) May 3, 2026 The titles will have Leafs legend Mats Sundin as the Seni...
Good morning, everyone. With the first round just about completed (there is one game to be played as of this writing), it is time to make an update to our Stanley Cup Playoffs Open Post. You can see the original post here, but let’s dive into the new matchups. The Schedule: Here is the Second […]
“We went down early, but we just stuck to our game. The power play came through, as did the PK. That’s just a nice team win, which gives us a lot of confidence to go back home to play in front of our fans.” – William Villeneuve The resiliency of the bounce back of being […]
The post Easton Cowan makes his mark as Toronto Marlies storm back to tie series in Laval appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to name a new management regime on Monday, and with John Chayka and Mats Sundin leading the charge, don't be surprised to see them use the team's goaltending depth to make a trade, and help reallocate some resources on the Leafs' roster. Joseph Woll has the most trade value out of any of the four goalies Toronto has on their roster. He's five years younger than Anthony Stolarz, has two years left on his contract at just $3.6 million AAV, and his limited no-tra...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a disastrous regular season and found themselves in a typical postseason scenario: golfing. With former general manager Brad Treliving being fired, and Keith Pelley asserting himself in the front office, things are changing for the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season. It was reported today by Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun that the Maple Leafs would announce the new arrivals of John Chayka as general manager and former Maple Leaf forward M...
Head coach John Gruden discusses the Toronto Marlies’ 6-2 Game 2 victory over the Laval Rocket, tying the series at 1-1. On Easton Cowan’s highlight-reel end-to-end goal: He has high expectations for himself, and it has been a lot for a young man. He is a winner. Even the way the first period went, for […]
The post John Gruden on Easton Cowan’s end-to-end goal in Game 2 vs. Laval: “A dynamic player who can make big plays in big moments… He’s a winner” appeared first on Maple Leafs Hotstove .
Caleb Downs on rookie minicamp, learning ‘very multiple’ Cowboys defense – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com The first-rounder breaks down the first day of minicamp. FRISCO, Texas – When Caleb Downs arrived in Dallas last Friday, he received the Cowboys’ defensive playbook and began his work studying it. A week later, Downs took to the practice field for […]
Before we get to NHL news and notes, a few Islanders links: Enjoy this highlight reel for Vezina finalist Ilya Sorokin. Offseason analysis from Andrew Gross: The management. [Newsday] What was it like to suffer through the ups and mostly downs of being a diehard Whalers fan? A special Weird Islanders episode. [LHH] Elsewhere Depending […]
On the latest 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman provided some updates on the Leafs’ executive search, which appears to be nearing its end with Sundin-Chayka as the probable outcome. Friedman on the rival GM the Leafs sought permission to speak to Friedman: James Mirtle had a line about Toronto being turned down after asking to speak […]
The post Latest from Friedman: Maple Leafs tried to speak to Julien BriseBois; Sundin-Chayka hires still progressing in the “proper direction” appeared first o...
The Toronto Maple Leafs , by all accounts, seem to have settled on their new hockey operations team. However, according to insider Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, MLSE initially had its sights set much higher. James Mirtle in The Athletic had a line about Toronto being turned down to speak to a current general manager. I believe that was Julien BriseBois of the Tampa Bay Lightning. That's who I think they asked permission to speak to, and they were rejected. But of co...