Report: NHL suspends former Coyotes GM John Chayka through 2021
Jan 25, 2021, 5:47 PM
John Chayka of the Arizona Coyotes attends the 2019 NHL Draft at the Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The NHL has reportedly made a ruling on former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka.
According to Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the NHL has suspended the former GM until Dec. 31, 2021.
The ruling comes after Chayka terminated his contract with the Coyotes back in July following reports that the relationship between the former GM and the league soured because of another job opportunity.
Friedman said at the time that the Coyotes were approached about a job opportunity elsewhere for Chayka, and the team gave him permission to explore it. When it became apparent that he might leave the organization, the Coyotes pushed back against the idea of him exiting.
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Additionally, Friedman heard from a source that Chayka’s job opportunity was not as general manager for another team. Coyotes insider Craig Morgan said the opportunity was not hockey related.
“The club is disappointed in his actions and his timing as the Coyotes prepare to enter the NHL’s hub city of Edmonton, where the team will begin post-season play for the first time since 2012,” the team posted in a July statement.
“Chayka has chosen to quit on a strong and competitive team, a dedicated staff, and the Arizona Coyotes fans, the greatest fans in the NHL.”
In a statement to Morgan, Chayka said his stint in Arizona had been the most enjoyable time of his life, but “the situation created by ownership made that an impossibility.”
Chayka had been the Coyotes’ general manager since May of 2016, when he became the youngest general manager in North American professional sports history at the age of 26.
