Maloney’s alleged rival wasn’t Chayka, but head coach Dave Tippett, and that’s where things get interesting. While Chayka was given the GM’s title, Tippett was handed a front office role of his own. He’ll become the team’s new executive vice president of hockey operations, while keeping his head coaching duties. He also received a five-year contract extension.
Given all that, it’s hard not to jump to conclusions about what’s really going on here: Tippett is running the show in Arizona now, with Chayka as his just-happy-to-be-here yes man.
That’s probably not fair to Chayka, who by all accounts is an impressive hockey mind. But it’s fair to say that his rise to the Coyotes’ job has been unusual, especially in a hockey world that’s often described as an old boys’ club, where the same old names seem to cycle through the same jobs, hired by the same old buddies from the glory days.
Preds with a huge victory in 3OT last night evening the series at 2 with the Sharks. Back to Cali.