As someone who spent a good part of my childhood posted up at a Fuddrucker's Tekken 3 cabinet with a Manon Rheaume Lightning poster next to it, I've also wondered this. Especially over the past few years.
The entire NHL, both media and fans, are more upset about Chayka being given a GM job after breaking the rules to get a leg up on competition than they were about Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville being given new jobs after covering up sexual assaults.
I'm not really surprised.
Don't forget turning Scott Wedgewood and that bum Tobias Rieder into the best years of Darcy Kuemper's career.
Great track record of roster management, talented GM. I dont wanna hear a thing about "improprieties" when Stan Bowman still has a job, and I say that as a Yotes lover.
Here are some highlights from John Chayka's first few months as Arizona's General Manager:
May 2016, Arizona hires John Chayka at 26 years-old. Youngest GM in league history.
June 16th, ~ a month into the job, acquires veteran Dallas Stars defenceman Alex Goligoski for a 5th round pick.
June 20th, trades Maxim Letunov + 6th round pick for a 3rd and a 4th. Letunov, who's a former 2nd round pick, would go on to play a total of 3 NHL games.
June 24th, at the draft. Selects Clayton Keller at 7th overall. In a redraft, the only players selected ahead of him who would still be ahead of him today are Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk. The Keller pick surprised many people. He was expected to draft a defenceman - but then Chayka traded up from 20th overall to select Jakob Chychrun, who fell to 16. They took on Pavel Datysuk's contract to make this work. Imagine... a cap floor team weaponizing cap space.
Day 2 of the same draft, they traded a 2nd round pick for Anthony Deangelo.
Star swipe to a month later, August 25th. The Coyotes acquire Lawson Crouse (drafted #11 overall the year prior) and Dave Bolland's contract for a 3rd round pick + a conditional 2nd. Crouse had never played a game with the Panthers. How many times have fans in Toronto said "We don't need to sign Sam Bennett. We need to find the next Sam Bennett." Look, I'm not saying Crouse is Bennett, but this is exactly that type of deal.
Here are some highlights from John Chayka's first few months as Arizona's General Manager:
May 2016, Arizona hires John Chayka at 26 years-old. Youngest GM in league history.
June 16th, ~ a month into the job, acquires veteran Dallas Stars defenceman Alex Goligoski for a 5th round pick.
June 20th, trades Maxim Letunov + 6th round pick for a 3rd and a 4th. Letunov, who's a former 2nd round pick, would go on to play a total of 3 NHL games.
June 24th, at the draft. Selects Clayton Keller at 7th overall. In a redraft, the only players selected ahead of him who would still be ahead of him today are Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk. The Keller pick surprised many people. He was expected to draft a defenceman - but then Chayka traded up from 20th overall to select Jakob Chychrun, who fell to 16. They took on Pavel Datysuk's contract to make this work. Imagine... a cap floor team weaponizing cap space.
Day 2 of the same draft, they traded a 2nd round pick for Anthony Deangelo.
Star swipe to a month later, August 25th. The Coyotes acquire Lawson Crouse (drafted #11 overall the year prior) and Dave Bolland's contract for a 3rd round pick + a conditional 2nd. Crouse had never played a game with the Panthers. How many times have fans in Toronto said "We don't need to sign Sam Bennett. We need to find the next Sam Bennett." Look, I'm not saying Crouse is Bennett, but this is exactly that type of deal.
It's telling that Chayka is getting grilled like this while Quenneville and Bowman were served up softballs to talk about charity work they did or whatever.
#NHLJets Eric Comrie was asked about goaltender interference and didn't want to answer to avoid getting in trouble.
Then he joked: " I think goalie's are free game. Run 'em over and score. NHL Hitz Style. You're ever play NHL Hitz? You're allowed to hit the goalie in that game. Go ahead and do it."
New York Life has released renderings of what an arena & entertainment district would look like at the North Point Mall site. Plans include a 20k seat hockey arena, 2k seat community rink, and other attached notes like a movie theater, hotel, and music hall.
Wrong side of what, Frank? What am I on the wrong side of if I don't feel patriotic about a country deporting and killing ordinary people while laughing at extraordinary ones behind their backs? What am I against and why am I wrong for that, Frank?
If you can’t celebrate an Olympic accomplishment for and by the USA 🇺🇸, you are on the wrong side. Period.
We truly reached the theater of the absurd when it became “news” last week that hockey players are proud of their country.
@parallelcircle McAvoy lying through his teeth like the Instagram follow tracker didn't just catch him following everyone on team USA for the first time this morning.
Quick take on the fellas have a laugh about Trump inviting the women's team to the White House.
It wasn't shitting on women's hockey and acting like they didn't earn it. But there's nothing better than celebrating with the fellas. Inviting the ladies just changes the dynamic