Chayka, other Coyotes connections make Athletic’s ‘Top 40 under 40’

Coyotes general manager John Chayka and three others with connections to the Arizona NHL franchise were listed on The Athletic‘s “Hockey’s Top 40 under 40” list on Friday.

The list included the top 40 hockey executives, coaches, etc. (no players) who are under the age of 40 years old. Chayka, who took his current job when he was 26 to become the youngest GM in North American sports, was just the second name down on the list after Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas (33 years old).

Chayka is now just 29 years old and 2.5 years into his current job.

The Athletic praised him for what he’s done in that short amount of time.

Still just 29 years old, Chayka continues to explore every avenue to make the Coyotes better in a challenging environment that looks like it will include another new owner. He’s aggressive in making trades, even if 98 percent of them are with the Blackhawks, with a belief that incremental improvements add up significantly over time. When many people in the hockey world believed the Coyotes would eventually lose franchise defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chayka got an extension done. He’s also not afraid to make bold moves that reflect his convictions, like his selection of center Barrett Hayton with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Like Dubas, Chayka is progressive in his hiring. When the Coyotes hired Dawn Braid as their skating coach, it was the first full-time female coach hired in the NHL. In November, the Coyotes hired former Olympian Lyndsey Fry as a special advisor.

Another Coyotes-related name on the list was Marina Carpenter, Coyotes and Roadrunners general counsel. According to the Coyotes’ website, the ASU alumna handles the day-to-day legal needs of the organization and handles litigation, risk assessment and contracts.

Carpenter manages contracts, risk assessment and legal matters for the Coyotes and Chayka highlighted her as someone he relies on for unique solutions to the problems that tend to come up for the franchise. “She’s always got a lot on her plate, she touches a lot of different areas of the organization,” Chayka said. “She’s really helpful on the hockey side when we need her here. She has a good strategic mind for finding creative solutions to complex problems. She’s a good brain to pick.”

Also on the list was Meghan Chayka, who is John Chayka’s older sister. She made the 40 under 40 list because of her co-founding (with John Chayka and Neil Lane) of Stathletes, Inc., an analytics company.

And finally, Mike Van Ryan was on the list. Van Ryn played eight years in the NHL with Florida, St. Louis and Toronto and is currently an assistant coach for the Blues. But his connection to the Coyotes comes via the AHL, where Van Ryn was the head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners last season.

“The 39-year-old is still close enough to his playing days that players really appreciate his opinions on today’s game.”

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