After much speculation, the Arizona Coyotes are expected to announce John Chayka as their next general manager at a press conference on May 5th.
The Arizona Coyotes will reportedly name John Chayka the next general manager of the franchise on Thursday.
Craig Custance was the first to report that the team would be naming the 26-year-old assistant GM to the head job after the ouster of former GM Don Maloney in April.
Custance also reported that “details of a restructured front office will also be released, expect an expanded role in roster decisions for Dave Tippett.”
Craig Morgan confirmed the report shortly afterward:
John Chayka will be named the new GM of the Coyotes at a press conference on Thursday. Rest of hockey ops structure will also be announced.
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) May 4, 2016
The news comes as little surprise to Coyotes fans after Chayka’s name has been floated for a couple of weeks. The real question is whether or not he will be paired with a veteran general manager after talks reportedly fell through with Dallas Stars assistant general manager Les Jackson.
His young age has caused some consternation among Arizona Coyotes fans, and Brendan Porter of Five For Howling notes that “John Chayka is younger than 13 players on Arizona’s current roster. The next youngest general manager in the NHL is Stan Bowman of the Chicago Blackhawks at 42.”
The age concerns seem a bit silly, but his short tenure of experience may be a valid concern.
Chayka has only been part of the organization for one season, so it’s fair to surmise that the learning curve might result in him requiring some veteran assistance. It remains to be seen how the hockey traditionalists who dominate the majority of the general manager positions will accept this move by the Yotes.
At least one NHL executive seems excited by the news, however:
It would seem likely that Coyotes ownership would like to surround Chayka with as much help as he can get considering his non-traditional background. We’ve seen that in their pursuit of Jackson and there is little reason to suspect that they won’t search other avenues if necessary.
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Business is about to pick up in the desert.
The Arizona Coyotes are making bold moves. That’s precisely what you need to do to gain an edge in a market dominated by the old guard.
Welcome aboard, GMJC. Now…build us a contender.