The NHL has suspended former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka through December 31, 2021, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Commissioner Gary Bettman made the ruling Monday, sending a memo to all teams stating that Chayka was involved in “behavior harmful to the league and the game”. Bettman’s ruling also stated that Chayka had “violated his obligation to the club”.
The suspension is linked to Chayka pursuing other opportunities while under contract with the Coyotes and ending his contract with three years to go, a source said.
Chayka, 31, suddenly left the Coyotes in July, just before the playoffs. In a statement, the team said at the time: “The club is disappointed in its actions and timing as the Coyotes prepare to enter Edmonton, the NHL’s hub city, where the team will begin playing in the NHL for the first time since 2012. After season. Chayka has chosen to retire with a strong and competitive team, dedicated staff and the Arizona Coyotes fans, the biggest fans in the NHL. ”
In his own statement in July, Chayka wrote: “I love our players, coaches, staff and fans and I really wish I could be with the team in Edmonton. Unfortunately, the situation created by ownership made that an impossibility. “
Sportsnet first reported Chayka’s suspension.
According to sources, the suspension – which prevents him from working for an NHL club in any capacity – is unrelated to sanctions the league imposed on the Coyotes in August. The team was stripped of its selection in the second round in 2020 and in the first round in 2021 for violating the scouting combination’s policy of physically testing draft eligible players, which took place under the supervision of Chayka.
Chayka was hired by Arizona in 2016 at the age of 26 and became the league’s youngest general manager.
There has been significant attrition in the Coyotes’ executive staff of late. Bill Armstrong, formerly the assistant general manager in St. Louis, was hired to replace Chayka. Xavier Gutierrez was hired as president and CEO in June. And this month, the club announced that franchise legend Shane Doan was rejoining the organization as Chief Hockey Development Officer.