Julien Brisebois Reportedly Near Maple Leafs Front-Office Move With Sundin, Chayka
julien brisebois is at the center of a Maple Leafs front-office search that is nearing a decision, with the club close to installing Mats Sundin and John Chayka to take over operations. The move would pair a former captain with a former NHL general manager as Toronto tries to reset after firing Brad Treliving on March 30.
Sportsnet reported Wednesday that the Leafs are close and working toward the two-man setup, with Chayka remaining the lead candidate to become general manager. The search has moved through interviews and narrowed enough that former Kings assistant general manager Mike Futa said he was told Tuesday night he was not among the final candidates.
Toronto’s Sundin-Chayka plan
Sundin would bring the most obvious franchise connection in the group. He is the Leafs’ all-time leader in points, and at 55 years old he would enter the job with no front-office experience.
Chayka brings a different profile. He was the NHL’s youngest general manager a decade ago with Arizona, and at 36 he would arrive with actual executive experience. Toronto is trying to build around both profiles at once: a former star who knows the organization from the inside and a younger builder who has already run an NHL operation.
Chayka’s past in Arizona
That résumé comes with baggage. Chayka was suspended by the NHL for holding an unsanctioned combine for undrafted players and for interviewing for jobs outside the Coyotes organization without permission.
The Coyotes paid for that conduct with draft capital, forfeiting their second-round pick in 2020 and their first-round pick in 2021. Those penalties are part of the record Toronto would be hiring into if it gives him the GM job.
Futa and the Leafs search
Futa’s path through the process shows how far the Leafs have pushed the search. He said he interviewed by video conference early, then in person later on, and described the process as positive.
After learning he was out of the running, he said, “It was very positive,” “It was one of the most humbling experiences to be even included.” He added, “It was an incredible process.” and “I wish them all the best.”
Keith Pelley hired The Coach’s Agency, run by Neil Glasberg, to help find a new executive team, and that search has now narrowed to the point where Sundin and Chayka are the names moving forward. Rogers Communications owns 75 per cent of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the company behind the Leafs.
