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The Arizona Coyotes' search for a new GM appears to be over.
John Chayka will be named the new GM of the Coyotes at a press conference on Thursday. Rest of hockey ops structure will also be announced.
— Craig Morgan (@craigsmorgan) May 4, 2016
John Chayka will be named GM of ARI tomorrow. Promoted from asst GM, Chayka turns 27 on June 9. Head coach Dave Tippett expanded role.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 4, 2016
With multiple local and national hockey reporters confirming the report, it's all but official.
Chayka joined the organization back in May of 2015 to help bolster the team's analytics department. He has been compared in many ways to Kyle Dubas, the 28 year old Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who is seen by many as part of a new generation of hockey operations executives placing more emphasis on analytics in crafting rosters.
Chayka's own contributions to the field of hockey analytics are notable too. He founded Stathletes in 2010 at the age of 20, and devoted his work to developing video tracking at high resolution to assist in player development, benchmarks, and scouting.
At 26 years old, John Chayka is younger than 13 players on Arizona's current roster. The next youngest general manager in the NHL is Stan Bowman of the Chicago Blackhawks at 42.
Head Coach Dave Tippett will receive an increased role in player decisions, which has been reported as the case ever since Don Maloney was fired at the end of the 2015-16 season. The rest of the hockey operations team will be announced at a team scheduled press conference tomorrow morning.