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The Official Post-Bitch 2025-26 Regular Season Thread

leafman101 said:
And for the record stabbing him in the back was not wanting to resign a 41 year old that sucked.
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who wants to bet it was Meruelo who actually wanted Doan out and just forced Chayka to take the blame.

i highly doubt chayka would have had much problem keeping a guy like doan around for cheap.
 
I will always give the new guy a chance and Chayka is saying the right things here. In this day and age you have to prioritize a data-driven approach or you will get left behind. Use every tool at your disposal. As Alex Anthopoulos once said, the best approach is to combine data and traditional scouting.

Character is important too of course, so it's concerning that Chayka got ran out of the league and his actions in Arizona do appear to be pretty sleazy. I'd like to better understand what happened with Doan, if it's just a matter of not offering him a contract because of age and inefficiency, it's obviously pretty silly to hold a grudge over that. Seems like he wanted to change the culture and was an asshole about it since it had been "Doan's team".

From what I can tell he definitely made some dumb mistakes, probably too young and arrogant and in over his head a little bit. It does seem like quite a few people in the Leafs org have known him for years, so I assume they know him better than these NHL "sources" who hate him based on rumours and innuendo.

Just a very strange reaction to this hiring overall. I guess he was probably considered "blackballed" since he wasn't working in hockey at all, and was forced to invent the square hamburger instead. So some are shocked that he got hired and probably jealous he went straight back to GM without having to "pay his dues" or whatever, but fuck them. This is his chance at redemption, and obviously as Leaf fans we hope it goes well.

TLDR: Haters gonna hate, we got your back John, just add a couple of puck movers on D and get a real fucking coach please and thank you.
 
Preston said:
Tbh after hearing him talk, I have very few concerns that Chayka is going to take the right approach and have the right process and I'm not sure the Leafs have had that since the early Dubas days.

Doesn't mean he'll be right or good in this leadership/managerial role (which as we know is about more than just valuing your R&D team's input) or that the people he relies on for data analysis will be right, or that he'll be great at negotiating or that the GMs on other teams won't blackball him/refuse to negotiate with him.. But all I ever wanted was a data driven process. And they have that now. So I can sleep easy and not be forced to hope for pizza boy to accidentally make a good move or target the right player. Whoever they target/acquire/get rid of will be done for a reason and there will always be data behind it.

I'd be hypocritical to complain
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look who just fell for the con.
 
hockeylover said:
www.nytimes.com

Did the Coyotes violate Combine Testing Policy? A ruling may hinge on semantics

The NHL is investigating whether the Coyotes violated league rules by fitness-testing draft prospects on the scouting combine invite list.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

just found this article and tbh it kinda makes it seem like bullshit.
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Yeah, I took a run at finding out more about this issue last night, read that article and a few others and that's what I came away with as well. They make it sound like he was running a fucking underground full combat combine between prospects when all they did was ask prospects to show up for interviews (totally normal) in shorts and t shirts so that their staff could get a better idea of how they were put together (weirdish but the draft is a meat market anyway, they just want to see if the kid already trains and if 6'1 really means 5'11) and Chayka had the gaul to sneak a few innovations into their interview process by having a contracted professional to ask specific diet and health questions.

No physical testing, no measurements. Nothing. Interviews in shorts and t shirts. None of it was explicitly against the rules either which kind of suggests that the punishment was political. In a fair system when someone finds a loophole but doesn't break a rule (or even the spirit of the rule, all of those rules were created specifically because teams used to force prospect to run, lift, etc for their entertainment), you close it and move on.

It's getting harder and harder to not come to the conclusion that all of these Chayka "scandals" are made up bullshit. This looks like made up bullshit. The New Jersey Devils thing looks like made up bullshit. Letting Shane Doan go (after giving him a 5 million dollar 1 yr deal at 40, that he repaid with 6 goals) is a nothingburger, and hilariously, his first Leaf scandal is one Stathletes employee texting an ex co worker who is currently with an NHL team to congratulate him on a series win.

It all kind of looks political to me, like there's a bunch of people around the league who are mad that Chayka didn't "pay his dues" before he got hired.
 
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Forgive me father for I have sinned... I'm listening to supposed nerds Mirtle and Jonas cry about the hire and cry about how bad Chayka is and how this will be a disaster. This is very funny. "I wouldn't even put Chayka in the top 30 of potential candidates." Fake nerds.

It's going to be so awesome when he kicks ass and they all have to eat their words.
 
MindzEye said:
Yeah, I took a run at finding out more about this issue last night, read that article and a few others and that's what I came away with as well. They make it sound like he was running a full fucking underground full combat combine between prospects when all they did was ask prospects to show up for interviews (totally normal) in shorts and t shirts so that their staff could get a better idea of how they were put together (weirdish but the draft is a meat market anyway, they just want to see if the kid already trains and if 6'1 really means 5'11) and Chayka had the gaul to sneak a few innovations into their interview process by having a contracted professional to ask specific diet and health questions.

No physical testing, no measurements. Nothing. Interviews in shorts and t shirts. None of it was explicitly against the rules either which kind of suggests that the punishment was political. In a fair system when someone finds a loophole but doesn't break a rule (or even the spirit of the rule, all of those rules were created specifically because teams used to force prospect to run, lift, etc for their entertainment), you close it and move on.

It's getting harder and harder to not come to the conclusion that all of these Chayka "scandals" are made up bullshit. This looks like made up bullshit. The New Jersey Devils thing looks like made up bullshit. Letting Shane Doan go (after giving him a 5 million dollar 1 yr deal at 40, that he repaid with 6 goals) is a nothingburger, and hilariously, his first Leaf scandal is one Stathletes employee texting an ex co worker who is currently with an NHL team to congratulate him on a series win.

It all kind of looks political to me, like there's a bunch of people around the league who are mad that Chayka didn't "pay his dues" before he got hired.
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My guess is Chayka is just an asshole (not a bad thing) and ppl wanted him punished for that
 
Preston said:
Forgive me father for I have sinned... I'm listening to supposed nerds Mirtle and Jonas cry about the hire and cry about how bad Chayka is and how this will be a disaster. This is very funny. "I wouldn't even put Chayka in the top 30 of potential candidates." Fake nerds.

It's going to be so awesome when he kicks ass and they all have to eat their words.
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I do not know much but I guarantee they will not eat their words. They will just say they were always positive on him.
 
axlsalinger said:
I'd like to better understand what happened with Doan, if it's just a matter of not offering him a contract because of age and inefficiency, it's obviously pretty silly to hold a grudge over that. Seems like he wanted to change the culture and was an asshole about it since it had been "Doan's team".
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Did a bit of a dive on this last night.

The first thing to understand is that Doan was cranky the season previous (Chayka's 1st as GM) as he felt like the 1 year 5 million dollar deal he was offered was too fixated on his age (40) and undervalued his off the ice contribution (to a 78 point basement dwelling team). Doan follows up those by scoring 6 goals in 16/17 , confirming Chayka's concerns about his age.

After the 16/17 season it was decided that they felt the time had come wanted to move on from Doan. Team was broke, the new majority owner reportedly didn't like how much Doan was paid the year previous, etc. They wanted to sit Doan down and have the conversation about it all, including an exit strategy if he really wanted to continue playing elsewhere. Doan's agent went public with a desire to continue playing prior to the two sides speaking to each other though, including suggesting that Doan would be happy to take a reduced role to stay, and the new majority owner (Barroway) allegedly saw this as a PR pressure tactic and was pissed off, so left it with Chayka to tell Doan it was over.

Chayka scheduled a breakfast with Doan, which Doan expected this to be Chayka picking his brain and asking his input about the upcoming season. He was instead told Doan the organization was looking to move on. Doan immediately gets up and leaves. Doan was upset that this wasn't taken seriously by the organization (doing it at breakfast with just Chayka), felt betrayed that they wouldn't give him another year despite his loyalty over the years, etc.

I mean, I struggle to see what Chayka or even the dirtbag cheapskate owner did wrong here. They were supposed to let Doan play on the 4th line for 3-4x the cost of a 4th liner even though he was cooked? I find the whole pro Doan logic here bent. Nowhere is Doan expected to have any self awareness about the state of his career, or accountability for his play. He was entitled to an outsized chunk of that poverty franchises cap space (in relation to the role he wanted....I mean, we know he wasn't asking to play for the minimum) and a roster spot that could have gone to a young player who might help the organization climb out of the basement in the future (Funny enough, they ran a Duclair, Strome, Cousins 4th line the next season).

Another stupid Chayka controversy.
 
worm said:
My guess is Chayka is just an asshole (not a bad thing) and ppl wanted him punished for that
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The quote I read that resonates with me was "He acts like he's the smartest person in the room....which he usually is, but it rubs some people the wrong way".

Translated, the dummy hockey lifers don't like smart nerds telling them what to do, especially when the smart nerd is right.
 
Yeah it seems very strange on the surface. Maybe the org or Chayka in particular was an asshole in the way he went about framing it, as this guy was the "heart and soul" of the team for a long time, despite being a shit organization and team largely due to ownership. Here's the AI Overview, I can see that (a) Chayka may have been too abrupt in the way he handled the meeting, and (b) the team itself should have offered him a job in the organization or certainly let him down a bit more gently, but it's a real stretch to describe this as a "stab in the back".

I guess I can see how a 40 year old player who had been there his entire career wouldn't take kindly to a guy in his 20s who just got the job acting like he was useless and disposable. People have blown it way out of proportion though.

AI Overview:

People are angry at former Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka for his handling of Shane Doan’s departure in 2017 because it was perceived as a callous, disrespectful, and cold business decision against the franchise’s most loyal icon. [1, 2]
According to reports and local reactions, the main reasons for the outrage are:
  • Callous Firing of a Legend: After 21 years of loyalty, Doan was told his time was up by Chayka during a brief, impersonal meeting. Doan described it as a "corporate firing" that felt like a betrayal after his long service.
  • Refusal to Allow a Proper Ending: Doan was 40 at the time and wanted one last season, even accepting a lower-line role. Many fans felt that after holding the franchise together through turmoil, Doan deserved to retire on his own terms rather than being pushed out by a young GM who hadn't been there long.
  • The Manner of the Meeting: Reports from the time indicated Doan was invited to breakfast for the news, but the conversation was so abrupt and disrespectful that he left in shock and sadness without eating.
  • Lack of Respect for the Team’s History: Many viewed the move as an example of Chayka—a proponent of data-driven, "Moneyball" decision-making—showing a cold disregard for the emotional and cultural value Doan brought to the team and its fans, viewing him simply as a depreciating asset.
  • Jealousy/Ineptitude Accusations: Local reporters and critics accused Chayka of being "jealous" of Doan's stature within the organization and that it was a "despicable" act by a GM who was ultimately acting to remove any figures larger than himself in the organization. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
While then-owner Alex Barroway later admitted he should have handled the situation personally and apologized for the way it was handled, the brunt of the anger was directed at Chayka, who was the face of the decision, further fueled by his later tumultuous departure from the team in 2020.
 
Here is Pelley’s perspective (sorry i’m not going to reveal my sources on this one)

You can see why Pelley hired Sundin to balance the EQ in the room

>>>>If you zoom in on each moment in the Doan/Chayka conflict:

• Chayka was often logically defensible
• Doan was often organizationally and culturally right

But leadership isn’t just about being right on paper.

👉 The pattern across these moments:

• Chayka pushed correct ideas too bluntly, too fast

• Doan represented trust, continuity, and legitimacy inside the room

That’s why, over time, most players, media, and execs leaned toward Doan.
 
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