On Sunday afternoon, word got out that the Toronto Maple Leafs had found their new front office duo: John Chayka as General Manager and Mats Sundin as Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations.

The Maple Leafs held their introductory press conference on Monday, to which Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun did not hold back on one of his questions.

Simmons: “You talk about the due diligence that you did on John prior to hiring him, and now hiring him. In the past, say three to four days, I have been in contact with about 20 people who work in the National Hockey League, many of whom are prominent names that we would all know. Of the 20 people I spoke to, one was supportive of John’s hiring. The other 19 thought it was a sham, to be perfectly honest. Words we’re used like ‘con-artist’, ‘liar’, ‘salesman’. How did you come to a different conclusion than I was able to come to in a very short time?”

Pelley: “I must have talked to different people.”

Simmons: “That’s it? Cause the hockey world today is astounded by this announcement.”

Pelley: “Okay.”

Simmons: “And your response to that?”

Pelley: “We’ve conducted due diligence, and it was deep due diligence. It was a thorough process, and I’m quite happy with where we’ve landed.”

You can watch the full conversation below!

Since Chayka resigned from the Arizona Coyotes in 2020, his reputation in the league has diminished. The Coyotes and Chayka held private scouting combines for various prospects, which is strictly prohibited by NHL rules. The Coyotes were stripped of their 2020 second-round pick and 2021 first-round pick as punishment for this act, while Chayka was banned from working in the league until the end of the 2021 calendar year.

Despite his suspension being lifted in 2022, Chayka was not given much consideration across the league to make a comeback. During that time, Chayka spent the next few years as the CEO of a fast-food chain in Canada.

With a relatively unsuccessful stretch as a member of the Coyotes, where the team had a 131-147-3 record under his leadership, John Chayka’s hiring as the General Manager of one of, if not the biggest market in the entire National Hockey League, has many scratching their head as to whether he’s ready or deserving of this opportunity.