TORONTO (AP) 鈥� The hired former captain Mats Sundin as senior executive adviser of hockey operations and John Chayka as general manager Sunday.
The moves mark a reset of the club鈥檚 front office after a season that ended with Toronto missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The team said Sundin will provide support across hockey operations, with a focus on team culture, player development and leadership support.
鈥淭his fan base deserves greatness and I am grateful for the opportunity to help this team, organization and city achieve that,鈥� Sundin said in a release.
Toronto in March, near the end of the disastrous campaign for the Maple Leafs, who entered the season among the Stanley Cup favorites.
The club also did not replace president Brendan Shanahan after he was .
Sundin and Chayka arrive with the organization still searching for its first Stanley Cup since 1967.
The Maple Leafs鈥� career points leader, Sundin had a complicated Toronto exit in 2008 before a brief stint with the Vancouver Canucks, but remains a fan favorite for his 13 seasons in blue and white.
The 55-year-old Swede, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 and returned home to start a family after retiring, has never held a formal management position in the game.
The 36-year-old Chayka became the NHL鈥檚 youngest GM when he was hired by the Arizona Coyotes a decade ago. His time in the desert was marked by an analytics-heavy push and bold trades.
鈥淚鈥檓 honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and excited to work alongside Mats and the entire organization,鈥� Chayka said in a statement. 鈥淭his is one of hockey鈥檚 most historic franchises, with a passionate fan base who want to win.”
Chayka abruptly resigned in July 2020 on the eve of the league鈥檚 pandemic restart and was subsequently suspended by commissioner Gary Bettman for one year in 2021 for 鈥渃onduct detrimental to the league and game鈥� after pursuing job opportunities with other teams while still employed by the Coyotes.
Arizona was also docked first- and second-round picks for holding unauthorized workouts with draft prospects under his watch, in breach of the league鈥檚 scouting combine policy.
Chayka hadn鈥檛 worked in the NHL since.
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