Chayka & Sundin Announced as New Leafs Management | FULL Press Conference

Thank you, Steve.Appreciate it.Thank you for joining us here today at Real Sports.And it's wonderful, even though I can't see all of you up there, it's wonderful to have our MLSC staff here as well.Say hi up there.There you go.

There you go.It's great to see the alumni here as well.Doug, Darcy, and Wendell, let's have a round of applause.So we're here today, but we're coming off a heartbreaking loss last night for the Raptors in Cleveland.But I can tell you that the The Raptors were the youngest team in the NBA playoffs, and I think you will all agree they played with tremendous, tremendous heart against Cleveland.The future is incredibly bright for the Toronto Raptors, and with yesterday's announcement, I believe the future is incredibly bright for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

To our fans, you are amongst the best in the world.Your unwavering passion, loyalty, and continued support for the Toronto Maple Leafs is greatly appreciated.The Maple Leafs, let alone the Stanley Cup, have not made it to the conference finals since 2002, when this young man was the captain.That's 24 years, and it's a 24 long years.And quite honestly, that's not good enough.And we understand Leafs Nation's frustration.

And that is why, that is why, when during this comprehensive search, when we identified an opportunity to go in a different direction and bring two stellar, complementary hockey minds together in John and Mats, we jumped on it.We jumped on it.And then during the process, we realized that these two gentlemen had a long -standing relationship dating back to 2012 when they first met in the Memorial Cup in London.They have kept in touch, but more importantly, the respect they had for each other and the way they talked about each other was palpable during the entire process.And there is no question that we believe this tandem will co -orchestrate a vision that aligns the organization from ownership right through to the dressing room.Before I hand it over to John, I wanted to thank Neil Glassberg from the coaches agency.

Neil was pivotal and integral in this entire process.I think we talked to, I think the number was 27 people, but Neil facilitated everything.He didn't have a vote, but he facilitated everything.And he was absolutely awesome helping us to get where we are today.So before I pass it over to John, I want to say to Matt, thank you for moving your family here.It was a big decision and we are incredibly grateful.

then you made that move.And to John, you know how I'm excited to introduce you right now.And so without any further ado, here is your 19thGeneral Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Chayka.

Thank you, Keith.Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for coming.I know you guys have a busy schedule, so I appreciate you coming out.To Edward Rogers, Tony Stefferi, Keith, the board, and everyone at MLSC, thank you for your trust.I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I'm fully aware of the responsibility that comes with it.I also want to thank my beautiful wife, Catherine, who's here today, and our three kids, Steele, Pree, and Monterey.

Love you guys.Your support makes all this possible.I'm grateful and proud to have you here with me because this is not just a job.Being the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs carries an enormous obligation to the team, community, the alumni, players, our partners, and to millions of fans across the world.I don't say that in an abstract way.I've witnessed it.

I've lived it since I was a kid.I grew up about 45 minutes from here in Jordan Station.My dad took me to games at the Maple Leaf Gardens where I fell in love with the game.I sat in the stands at the Air Canada Centre and rooted for number 13, our captain.Matt, it'll be an honor to work with you.I understand precisely how much this organization matters to the city and our country.

I understand the weight of our long wait.To Leafs Nation, this is your team.I share your passion for hockey, for this team, and for its history.That said, I'm not here to romanticize this opportunity.I'm here to build something that delivers.There's no avoiding the realities of the challenges ahead.

This is one of the most coveted roles in sports and also one of the most demanding.You don't meet a challenge like this by chasing moments.You meet it by building an organization that consistently creates them.Great teams beat talented teams, but great organizations beat great teams.That's the standard we must meet at every level of the organization.I'm a realist, so I want to address an element of my past up front.

I understand there'll be lots of questions about my path, about my time away from the game, and about my time in Arizona.That experience shaped me.It required discipline, creativity, and resilience.I've made decisions I'm proud of, and I've also made mistakes that I've learned from.I'm human.I own all of it, and I'm better because of it.

I would also say this.The game has evolved since I left the Coyotes.I view that as pride.A shift is a positive.I didn't live off the grid.I stayed obsessed with the game, our league, the role of process, of data, of integrated decision -making.

These are no longer emerging ideas.They're essential to how elite NHL organizations operate.That alignment between where the game stands today and how I believe in building teams, that's part of what makes this opportunity so incredibly compelling.I also understand another reality.Nothing I say here today earns credibility in this market.That will come from how we operate, the decisions we make, the consistency of our approach, and ultimately, the results we achieve on the ice.

What we're building here must be more than a great roster.It must be an organization that is aligned, integrated, and accountable.Every function from hockey ops, scouting, development, performance, medical, analytics, and technology must work towards a single objective.Create an environment where players prove faster here than anywhere else in the league.That's the goal, and it starts with culture.High standards, high talent density, and a mindset where the best idea wins.

That requires alignment from the entire organization, ownership, front office, right down to the bench.It requires honesty, it requires discipline, and it requires a willingness to challenge each other.Our fans bring pride and passion to this game every day.They deserve to see that reflected on the ice.Our players deserve the same from us.They need to know when they walk into the locker room,

we share their commitment down to our DNA.They need to know that we'll be honest with them, that we will challenge them.We'll give them every resource necessary to succeed.That standard is non -negotiable.Players are the center of everything we do, and we'll treat them that way.Our responsibility is to create an environment where they can perform at their best and at the highest level.

There are real decisions in front of us, roster construction, coaching alignment, development, performance infrastructure.We'll approach those decisions and every decision with clarity and intent.At the same time, we want to build something that lasts.That requires consistency, it requires conviction, and it requires decisive leadership.I know what this team means to people, I know what's been invested, and I know what's expected.The city's been waiting a long time for its 14th championship.

Our responsibility is to build something worthy of that patience.Toronto, I say this with every ounce of conviction in my heart, it's time.Let's get to work.Thank you.

Now our Senior Executive Advisor, Matt Sandin.

Thank you very much.And thanks, everybody, for coming.I'm extremely proud and excited to be sitting here today.Thanks to the MLC board, Keith Pelley, and for all of you to come in here.I'm very emotionally connected to the team, to the city.It's been my home for 13 years, 11 years as a captain.

And I've known John for a long time.And I think we have the same vision of what a winning team looks like.And I think the key thing We touched on it, we're going to complement each other perfectly.18 years playing in the National Hockey League, on the international stage, following the Toronto Maple Leafs the last10 years very closely on the international level prospects.I'm really looking forward to this challenge and the experience I think for the MLSC and Keith Pellett too and we have some great examples here too.

Earlier generations of Toronto Maple Leafs to bring that in to the mix as a compliment to John.There's things in the past that's done really well for the Toronto Maple Leafs and there are things that we should learn from that may have been mistakes.And that's in regards to the locker room management and so forth.And I think that experience I hope to contribute with and represent other generations of players like Wendell sitting here, Darcy and Doug.And I'm very proud to have a chance to represent earlier generations of Toronto Maple Leafs players.So I'm really looking forward to this and to Toronto.

fan base, greatest fan base in the world.There's no, this is the hockey capital of the world.We're going to do everything we can to get a winning team here and make you guys proud.Thank you.

Thank you gentlemen.Please raise your hand for a question.

Start with Mark right there.

Hey Keith, Mark with TSN, just right in front of you here.Oh there you go.How would you describe why John is the right man for this job?

I'm sorry?How would you describe why John is the right man for this job?

Well I think we were incredibly impressed and encouraged by John's vision that he shared with us during the process.Then we conducted extensive due diligence that confirmed what we already believed about John's capabilities.And we are incredibly confident in where we landed.I remain impressed by John, and I think you will as well.One of the key characteristics that came through in the entire process, he's methodical and he's measured.And the combination of John and Matt's is really, really strong.

Gino?

A question for Keith and John.You mentioned, John, about the fact that you remained in contact with everything that was going on in the league.But it's a full -time job.Being a GM in this league is a full -time job.GMs will tell us that that's all they do every moment of every day, watching that.Yet you had a full -time job.

So my question to both of you is, is there a concern that there's going to be a window where you're going to have to catch up to the other GMs who have been in and around the league since you've been away from the league?

There's no concern from my side.

Yeah, I would just echo that, you know, well, I had a full time job that part of that job was involved in sports as well.It was a different side of sports on the capital side.And so to go around and meet different organizations across the globe.see what a world -class organization looks like, how they're structured, how they're resourced, how they're creating competitive advantages, right from ownership down through the players.It was an incredibly valuable lens.And so I think if I had not been a general manager previously, that would have been more concern for me.

But the fact that I've sat in the chair and now have a different lens as well, I think it's actually been a real positive to learn and grow and become more diverse in my thoughts and opinions.And I think that'll be a real asset for me, actually.Yeah.

There's still no concern for me.

Echo that.

Go to Josh Clipperton.He knows the players in the league, Gino.Josh Clipperton, CP.

Josh Clipperton with the Canadian Press.John, you talked about mistakes from Arizona.I'm just wondering if you can explain from your point of view what happened with the combine testing and your exit and the suspension that followed.

Yeah, I'd just say, like, you know, Arizona was a really complicated situation.It was the biggest challenge I ever took on in my life and it was honestly the hardest thing I ever did and also in a lot of ways the most rewarding.I took it on at a very young age, met a lot of great people.We were really proud, that group, of keeping the Coyotes in Arizona during my tenure.I was through a lot of hard work from a lot of people that have been there for a long time as well as league support.You know, as I move forward, you know, it really teaches me the value of stability.

You know, again, to no one's fault.There was just a lot of work being done to try to find a new arena, you know, find new ownership, et cetera.And as those things happen, there's a lot that gets missed.And so, you know, the value of stability, the value of alignment, I think are, you know, two key tenets that I take from that.

Steve Simmons?

Steve Simmons, Toronto's son, for Keith.You talk about the due diligence that you did on John prior to hiring him and now hiring him.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 didn't.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 than I was able to come to in a very short time?

I must have talked to different people.

That's it?Because I'm telling you, the hockey world today is astounded by this announcement.

OK.

And your response to that?

As we've conducted due diligence, and it was deep due diligence, it was a thorough process, and I'm quite happy with where we've landed.Rosie?

Hi, Rosie DiManno from the Toronto Star, and I'm confused.I don't, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think either of these gentlemen have been given the title Head of Hockey Operations, is that correct?

John is the General Manager of Hockey Operations.

Okay, so I'm not sure, which of these men is senior and how the organization will work, who reports to you, who makes the final decision?

Sure.So as my, the role of CEO is to put the structure and process and experts in place and then empower them to make the decisions.At the time of the interviews, and it was really fascinating, neither John or Mats at any time talked about titles.They only talked about goals and that's the winning the Stanley Cup.In fact, I don't even think Matz knew what his contract title was until he got the contract himself.

Would that be fair?

Yeah.So I can tell youunequivocally that these two gentlemen are totally focused on one thing, and that's bringing the Stanley Cup to Toronto.The way that it'll work is John is the general manager of hockey operations, and I think these two will work collaboratively together on everything.Big decisions will obviously be collective, but at the end of the day, on a day -to -day business, John is the General Manager of Hockey Operations, and Mats has a role within Hockey Operations, but it will be something that will completely be collaborative throughout the entire process.

I think that nails it for me.

Chris Johnson.Keith, can you just explain why the sanctions that Coyotes face and that John faced personally weren't red flags for you and his hiring?

As I've already said, I did do two things.deep due diligence.So I've read all the reports, I've talked to numerous people, I won't reveal who I've talked to, that were close to the process.We've done extensive due diligence and I'm very comfortable and very confident where we landed.

Luke Fox.

Luke Fox, for John and Mats, realistically, how far away is this team from contending for a Stanley Cup?What season do you think you can get this thing going?

OK.The way I would think about it, Luke, is there's a gap right now between where we are and where we'd like to be.So I think it's upon us to go and collect information and understand that better.I think the optimistic, hopeful side is I really do believe that this team has a lot of late and upside.I think a lot of the players underperformed.I think there's lots of optimism.

opportunity to get in there and find ways to do a better job with the internal group.Having said that, I think it's a reality that we're going to have to make some changes, and we're going to have to fill some holes.And there's some fundamental ways in which we're going to have to change the team.And so I think that's what our goal is. I think every season is sacred to our fans.to our players, to our ownership.I think it's incumbent upon us to put the best team on the ice that we can.

And, you know, it's going to take a high hit rate.It's going to have to take some creativity.We're going to have to have some things go our way, but we certainly feel like we're well positioned with a core group.You know, we have some players that are some of the best players in the world that wear this sweater.And it's upon Matt and myself to put in place the structure and the principles and give them the resources to go out and accomplish their goals.

We'll go to Dave McCarthy, NHL .

com.Hey, Mats.This one is for you.I'm on your right here.How are you doing?You come to this position from a unique position within the franchise.

Long -time captain, up until this year, the most prolific goal scorer in the history of the team, well -revered amongst the fan base.Do you feel that you've put any of that at risk now, depending on the results of your tenure, now that you have some say in the direction of this franchise?And if so, why did you want to put that at risk?

Well, I don't think so.I don't worry about the risk to start with.I think I have knowledge and experience from being a player here, being the captain here.During an era too where a couple of times we went to the conference finals, I was lucky to play with, when I broke in here with guys like Doug Gilmore, ended up playing with Wendell Darcy.So there's, as I said before, I think.great organizations also learn from the from earlier generations on what's been done well, and maybe mistakes that you don't want to repeat.

So I think with that experience, I hope to contribute at all the levels, like in terms of players, coaches, the people in the dressing room, but also with management, right?So I don't feel it that way.I feel really fortunate to be able to work for MLSC again, and especially for this fan base, who I think we all think deserves better, a team that is contending.So I'm really looking forward to it, to put in the work and try to bring the experience that I have and help the team.

Hi, John.Yes, Maria.Yeah.You talked about changes with the team potential.What are your plans for Coach Craig Marubi?

I talked to Craig last night, and look, he's a guy that's a respected leader for over decades in the National Hockey League.I think he's a tremendous coach, a Stanley Cup coach, and a good person.We had a good conversation.It was brief.We're going to get together later this week with Mats and go through it all.I mean, Mats and I are coming in, you know, as outsiders.

He spent a full year and the past few years with the team.So we want to get through it all.We want to listen and learn and understand his perspective, and then go forward from there.

Cahal Kelly, Globe and Mail.

Cahal Kelly, Globe and Mail.For both John and Mats, could both of you describe the process by which you were hired?Who called who?How long did it take?Who did you talk to?That sort of thing.

Yeah, I could start.I got called by Neil Glassberg, who was running the search.both an exhaustive and frankly exhausting process for me a bit, but at the same time, you know, went through a series of interviews with different people in different formats, everything from, you know, verbal answers toand everything in between, so that was my process.

Yeah, and I have had contact with Keith since probably a year and a half ago, first meeting him here in Toronto, and then same as John, extensive, a lot of interviews with different stakeholders, not only Keith, but it's been a good process.Excuse me?I didn't hear at the beginning.Well, it was a combination.I felt and watching the team for many, many years, that there's experience and knowledge that I have that could help the team, right?So when we started the discussion, I think it was a mutual discussion of if I could help or not.

It didn't take long.The first conversation that we had was a year and a half ago when you launched your book.And after that, we kept in touch.Then we got back together a couple months ago or so, started to talk.And there was one day that I think we talked for about two hours.You know, you can see and feel, even through a virtual video call with Mats, the passion, his love for this city, and more importantly, his unwavering desire to finish what he started as a player, and that's to win the Stanley Cup.

And that's what I said.I think it was an exhausting process, but what was the most rewarding was that neither of these gentlemen at any time during any of the process talked about structure and titling.They only talked about structure.winning.And the chemistry that they have is phenomenal.And I think we're in for a real treat.

Matt Larkin.Matt Larkin here from Daily Faceoff.This question is for you, Mats, over here on your right.Mats, you made passing reference to the locker room.And obviously, you have a lot of experience running a dressing room as a longtime captain.I'm curious for you.

Do you think the culture of this team needs to change, and what, if anything, needs to change specifically about the culture, and that can include the locker room?

Yeah, you know what, I haven't been in there, so it's an impossible question to answer now.I think all former players can agree that everybody talks about a good locker room, but they don't really know it until they're in one that is actually a winning one.So I think it's too early to say, but I think any team that is winning and having success, do have a very strong locker room where there is a buy -in on a bigger vision of what we're going to do together.And that's very important, I think.

Dan, here on the left.Dan Riccio with the Nation Network for John.Do you feel you have to sell a competitive future on Austin Matthews?Like, how do you sell a winning future for the captain knowing he's two years away from free agency?

Yeah, it's a fair question.I just start by saying my experience with Austin in Arizona, I was the general manager there as he was coming up before he was drafted even.And just to watch him live, his passion for the game, the quality of player he is, the quality of person he is. I was very fortunate to get to know his dad, Brian, his mom, Emma, his sister, his family, his agent.So you get a really good perspective on who Austin is.and the type of people he surrounds himself with.So he's one of the top goal scorers last decade, if not the top goal scorer.

He's a 200 -foot centerman, plays the game the right way.I just came from an organization where we spent our entire existence looking for that exact player.So we're incredibly fortunate to have Austin.And I think it is, I agree with the way you termed it, actually, it is our job to sell him on what we're capable of and reaching the ultimate goal.Because I know that that's what's most important to him.And how do we do that is not a sales job, I'd say.

It's more of what's the vision, what's the plan, and concrete steps that we're going to take to try to get the team to where he wants it to be.And we share that same common goal.

We'll do three more questions.We'll start with Lance Hornby, Kevin McGrann, and Jonas Siegel.

For John and Matt, just wondered what your next couple of weeks looks like and what plans you have to talk to as many players as you can in coming weeks.

Yeah, I've already started reaching out to most of the players, and we'll reach out to them in the coming days.Again, like I said, I think our players are our partners.And so, you know, really getting together with them and learning and hearing their insights.I think they always have the best insights, quite honestly.You know, Matt and I, Keith, we can come up with lots of ideas.But hearing it from them, I think, is the most important part.

Like I said, we got together, or we're going to get together with Coach Berube.and we're going to have a very detailed plan.You know, we're trying to catch a moving train here.We've got scouting meetings coming up in the next week, two weeks, amateur and pro.We've got the combine, followed by the draft and free agency, as you know, the schedule.So really, though, the first order of business is connecting with the players and getting feedback.

Kevin O 'Graham, far right.

Keith, or any of the three of you, heard a lot about Ty Domi's involvement in all of this.Can you speak a little bit about how hewas sort of machinating some of this, maybe?Yeah, there have been countless erroneous reports and inaccurate information over the past six weeks, you know, including, and we just didn't want to comment on them, but, you know, including some that I was using AI during the trade deadline.And, you know, Neil is John's agent.Preposterous, right?

All of it.And Ty wasn't involved in the process whatsoever.It's another erroneous rumor.

Final question, Jonas?

Why are you not hiring a president?

You know, we went through the search.We had no preconceived notions on what structure that we were going to actually move towards.But once we got into the process, we realized, and as we got deeper into it, that this mix with John and Mats was one that was going to be formidable.And there's no specific reason for it, it was just this is the structure, it's a different structure, but I think it'll be a winning structure.