Maple Leafs reporter slams Toronto front office for hiring 'con artist' John Chayka during new GM's press conference

Maple Leafs reporter slams Toronto front office for hiring 'con artist' John Chayka during new GM's press conference originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Toronto Maple Leafs officially welcomed their new general manager on Monday.

The franchise hired John Chayka, formerly the youngest NHL general manager ever in Arizona, to lead the way after missing the playoffs in 2025-26. But Chayka also brings a bit of a controversial history — and one reporter made sure to address it at the new executive's introductory press conference. As Chayka met with the media about his new role, Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons called out the Maple Leafs' front office, saying he spoke to NHL sources that called Chayka a "con artist" and "salesman.

" Here's a look at how Toronto's front office responded to questions over Chayka's scandalous history. NHL PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NHL scores | NHL playoff schedule | NHL playoff bracket Maple Leafs reporter slams Toronto owner for hiring 'con artist' John Chayka Chayka was officially announced as the Maple Leafs' new general manager on Sunday, with Mats Sundin also being named senior executive advisor of hockey operations. As Toronto made significant changes to its front office, the two new faces met with reporters on Monday.

However, Chayka comes to Toronto with a history of front-office controversies, including a 2021 suspension from the NHL. Simmons, speaking to Maple Leafs CEO Keith Pelley, referred to the "due diligence" that Pelley said the team did before hiring Chayka, then offered his own research. The reporter said he spoke to 20 different NHL sources, many of whom were "prominent names," about the Chayka hiring — and only one of them viewed it in a positive manner.