The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a pivotal off-season decision: replacing Craig Berube as head coach. For General Manager John Chayka, this marks a defining moment in his tenure—and his track record with NHL bench bosses offers some intriguing clues about what might come next.

Chayka's history as a GM is surprisingly concise in one key area: he has hired only one head coach and fired just one in his NHL career. That experience came during his time with the Arizona Coyotes, where he took over the reins starting in the 2016-17 season.

When Chayka arrived in Arizona, Dave Tippett was already behind the bench. Tippett was entering his eighth season with the Coyotes, but after a disappointing 30-42-10 campaign, Chayka made the call to move on. That opened the door for his first—and so far only—head-coaching hire: Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet's hiring was a bit of a gamble. It marked his first NHL head-coaching job since the 2009-10 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Tocchet would go on to prove himself as an excellent coach later in his career, his tenure with the Coyotes was a building process. Under his guidance, the team showed steady improvement over his first three full seasons, with the final two shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019-20, Arizona advanced through the qualifying round and earned a playoff berth, only to be eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in five games during the first round.

Interestingly, Tocchet's final season with the Coyotes came after Chayka had already left the organization. So while Chayka's hiring record is limited, it does show a willingness to bet on a coach with something to prove—and to give that coach time to build a program.

Now, with the Maple Leafs searching for their 42nd head coach, the question is whether Chayka will stick with that approach or look for a more established name. Early reports suggest Bruce Cassidy is "extremely unlikely" to be the choice, and a fresh face may be in play. For a GM who keeps his cards close to the vest, this off-season decision will reveal a lot about his vision for Toronto's future.