‘A real obligation’: Maple Leafs GM John Chayka reflects on hectic off-season

John Chayka knows what the Toronto Maple Leafs mean to a rabid and tortured fan base.

The club's new general manager — 19 weeks into a job that kicked off with blistering criticism in some circles — used to be among them.

"I've loved this team for as long as I can remember," Chayka said in a recent interview. "I think 'love' is the key word. The love that fans have for their team is really unique. Love is complicated in our personal lives. When you think about loving a team, there's the euphoric highs. And if there's downs, people are upset.

"Their days can be made or broken on the results of a game … with that comes a real obligation."

Alongside senior executive adviser of hockey operations Mats Sundin — a franchise legend also brought back in the fold following Toronto's spring housecleaning — Chayka believes the Maple Leafs have taken positive steps over the last four months coming off their first playoff-less campaign in a decade.

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"The hockey capital of the world," Sundin said as he sat beside Chayka on the same video conference call with The Canadian Press. "With that comes responsibility. It's a privilege."

But before the pair could get to work, the 37-year-old Chayka came under intense fire at an awkward and uncomfortable introductory press conference where his character, reputation, integrity, pedigree and resume were all called into question.

He had been out of the NHL since 2020 and some of his dealings as a peach-fuzzed, analytics-driven GM for the Arizona Coyotes had left much to be desired, including an 11-month suspension for "conduct detrimental to the league" after he sought employment from another team while still under contract.

"It wasn't the season anyone wanted and changes were made," he said of an Original Six franchise that's won two playoff rounds in the salary cap era and hasn't sipped from the Stanley Cup since 1967. "You're communicating those changes. I wish I could say I was surprised there were hard-hitting questions or there were people that wanted to ask follow-ups and dig in."

The product of Jordan Station, Ont., added that being under an intense microscope is part of the gig.

"The media plays an incredibly important role in this entire ecosystem," Chayka said. "That connection to fans is really important to me. I have no issues or problems. I'm always happy to be a pro, answer any questions.

"But the focus is building a team and putting the players in the best position to have success. The rest is not really my concern."

Chayka and Sundin had as many conversations as possible — players, coaches and management — after arriving on the scene to get a feel for the organization from top to bottom.