Paul Bissonnette wears his Toronto Maple Leafs love on his sleeve. Sometimes, quite literally, even when he’s broadcasting on NHL on TNT.
He’s even been rebuked by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for putting his love of the Maple Leafs above journalistic integrity.
Bissonnette has also never been afraid to criticize the franchise when he feels it’s warranted. However, he’s never wavered in his support for the Leafs.
Until now.
On Monday, the team introduced John Chayka as the club’s general manager of hockey operations and franchise legend Mats Sundin as a senior adviser. The move stunned the hockey world, given that Chayka has been out of the NHL for five years since he was suspended by Bettman for “conduct detrimental to the league and game” after he “breached his obligation to [the Arizona Coyotes].” His tenure with the Coyotes was largely underwhelming as well.
On Monday’s episode of Spittin’ Chiclets, Bissonnette, fellow hosts Ryan Whitney and Keith Yandle, and Golden Knights Insider Gary Lawless, discussed the shocking move, and it seemed nearly universal that everyone thinks it’s a disaster in the making. So much so that Bissonnette made the shocking revelation that he is “out” on the Maple Leafs.
“I gotta be honest, as a total outsider, a Leafs hater, John Chayka being hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, to me, I want to say they are not a serious organization,” said Whitney. “Now maybe this guy turns it all around, and it’s great, but the original thought of the hiring is like, ‘what the f*ck?'”
He then asked Bissonnette if he wanted to wait to address the situation, but the NHL on TNT analyst didn’t want to wait any longer.
“I’ll address it right now. I don’t need long,” he said. “I’m out.”
Bissonnette added that he would “take a bullet” for Maple Leafs assistant general manager Shane Doan, who is likely to be out, given the new regime (and whose playing career ended when Chayka was the GM of the Coyotes).
“Shane Doan was stabbed in the back, and I’m out,” he added. “That’s it.”
“Love to hear that from you, Biz,” added Yandle. “The fact that they hired this guy, I think this is going to go down in history as one of the worst hires in the history of the NHL.”
Bissonnette then sought to clarify that his reasoning was more about Doan, whom the Maple Leafs hired in 2023, than about Chayka.
“I have no opinion on that side of it. I have no ill will toward— I just think that he was young. I think he made a really, really stupid mistake. And shouldn’t have even been in that situation he was in. And, you know, when you’re young, and you make stupid mistakes, you make stupid mistakes. And I’m not gonna, like, I’m not gonna hang the guy for the rest of his life on it. But I just can’t… I can’t f*cking root for him.”
It’s rare to see a front-office hire so universally disliked, as with the Maple Leafs’ hiring of Chayka. It’s either going to be one of the most surprising turnarounds in NHL history or an epic disaster.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.