The divide between Chayka and the Coyotes came after Chayka was not invited to a dinner meetingGetty Images
Coyotes President of Hockey Operations & GM John Chayka "informed the team on Friday that he was terminating his contract," according to a source cited by Morin & Somers of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The Coyotes promoted Assistant GM Steve Sullivan to interim GM. A source said that "rumblings of a divide between Chayka and the front office began earlier in the week when it was revealed that Chayka was not invited to a dinner meeting" between Coyotes Owner Alex Meruelo, President & CEO Xavier Gutierrez and LW Taylor Hall. The source said that Chayka "was not aware of the meeting and did not find out about it until the following day." Sources said that a contract offer was "made to Hall" during the dinner meeting. Morin & Somers note Chayka signed a contract extension last fall that runs through the '24 season. A source said that Chayka was "interested" in a different job but Meruelo "retracted permission." Morin & Somers note that "caused additional damage in Chayka's relationship with Meruelo -- perhaps beyond repair" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/27). SPORTSNET's Elliotte Friedman cited sources as saying that at "some point during the pandemic, the Coyotes were approached about Chayka’s availability and granted permission for him to explore the situation." One source said, "It was not a lateral move. He was not going to be the GM of another NHL team" (SPORTSNET.ca, 7/25).
DISPUTED DETAILS: In Arizona, Craig Morgan reported the reasons for Chayka's departure "are in dispute." A source said that Chayka "sought his release from the organization about six weeks ago" to pursue another opportunity. But another source said that this account "is not true." The source said, "Chayka is a liar and a quitter." The source indicated that "about a month ago, an NHL owner asked if he could speak to Chayka about an opportunity and was denied that permission." Chayka "tried to convince Meruelo by telling him that he had been allowed to do so in the past to build relationships around the league." The source said that "on multiple occasions, Chayka was told that this was not the appropriate time to explore such an opportunity or to discuss it, but it could be revisited at the appropriate time after the season." The source said that it was Chayka’s idea for Gutierrez and others to "speak to agents and take over some of the business Chayka would normally control because Chayka felt conflicted about doing work when he didn’t want to work for the organization any more." The source added that the idea that Chayka "wasn’t invited to a dinner meeting with Taylor Hall is a lie" (AZCOYOTESINSIDER.com, 7/26).
DESERTED IN THE DESERT: Chayka in a statement said that he "wishes he could be with the team in Edmonton, but 'the situation created by ownership made than an impossibility.'" He added that that is "all he intends to say on the matter for now, with a more detailed explanation possibly in the near future" (ARIZONASPORTS.com, 7/26). THE ATHLETIC's Scott Burnside wrote in the view of the organization, Chayka "abandoned the club at a critical juncture in its evolution." The Coyotes are "at a crossroads." Burnside: "Look at the chaos in Buffalo, it is chaos that spills down from the Pegula family’s ownership. But Arizona doesn’t have the luxury of being a well-established franchise like the Sabres, who can weather ownership foibles" (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/26). The REPUBLIC's Kent Somers in a separate piece writes the "emotional investment required to be a Coyotes fan rarely has paid dividends in the team’s 24 years in the desert." That is "why Meruelo’s purchase of the team a year ago held so much promise" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/27).
