Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Leafs Disaster Presser… WTF WAS THAT?? | BB Clips

Episode Date: May 5, 2026

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett dive into the absolute circus around the Toronto Maple Leafs’ press conference introducing John Chayka as general manager and Mats Sundin as senior executive advisor. What should have been a fresh start quickly turned into another Leafs disaster, with Keith Pelley getting pressed hard on the Chayka hire and the backlash surrounding his reputation across the NHL. The guys break down why this move has already become such a lightning rod, how the press conference went off the rails, and whether Toronto just created even more chaos for a fanbase that has already seen enough.Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/fkN9l4XE-Yc#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #torontomapleleafs #toronto CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you see what happened in Toronto yesterday? This is what? Geez. The Raptors? The hockey team. They trotted out their new executive. Here's the new guys. Here's the group that is going to lead us to the promised land.

Since 1967, we have not hoisted the mug, and we certainly will now. These guys at the helm. John Chaka, formerly of the Arizona Sla, Flash Phoenix Coyotes. He was 26 when he got the job. God, he was young. Ran into some, ran a foul of some of the things that you should. Was that of his doing?

Things he shouldn't do. He was punished. So I imagine he had something to do with it. He was punished. Yeah. Then he also tried to get us hired out of the exuberance of youth, hey Jack? Yeah. That's right.

The exuberance of youth. Blind optimism. Has not been employed by an NHL team since. He's been out there for a few years. Oh, yeah. And finally the Leafs got. to put pen to paper, I guess is what it comes down to. Finally, the offer was attractive enough for him.

And Matt Sundin, the former Caduc, great. That's right. Yeah, he did a, uh, yeah. Always nice to finish your career where your heart is in Vancouver. He's a Klebecker. That's right. And, uh, Keith Pelley. He'll be a cobecker.

Because remember he, uh, he was the guy that ran the European tour. He was with TSN. That's right. And I think, see, those hockey days, that whole thing. And then came to sports. He's not a player. No.

No, no, no, no. An executive. He's got fancy glasses. He's with MLSC, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Anyway, Keith, he came out with here's, here's our guys. And in the days leading up to the, it was like, I think this is going to be, it's going to be Sunda. Sondi and the hockey world kind of said, hmm, ooh, I don't know about this. It's an interesting choice.

Did they raise the eyebrows or did they? Yeah. Some people's eyebrows were raised. There were some brows furrowed. If you're just listening, and I'm guessing people have seen this because this thing went crazy yesterday online. Cheka, Peli, Sundeen are sitting at the table, fielding questions. Right. So it's not as though someone whose name is brought up isn't in the room.

They're hearing it. They're hearing it. Take a listen. Steve Simmons, Toronto's son for Keith. You talk about the due diligence that you did on John prior to hiring him and now hiring him. In the past, say three to four days, I have been in contact with about 20 people who work in the National Hockey League, many of whom are prominent names that we would all know.

And of the 20 people I spoke to, one was supportive of John's hiring and the other 19 thought it was a sham, to be perfectly honest. Words were used like con artist, liar, salesman. How did you come to a different conclusion that I was able to come to in a very short time? I must have talked to different people. That's it? Because the hockey world today is astounded by this announcement. Okay. And your response to that? Is we've conducted due diligence and it was deep due diligence. It was a thorough process. It was a thorough process and I'm quite happy with where we've landed. Hockburn.

A pee break, everyone. So again, John, the liar and con artist was at the table. It was right there. So people have thoughts. This Steve Simmons. What a cantankerous fella.

That's not very classy. That's not very professional. to grandstand and hijack a press conference like that. Others are saying, well, that's what a reporter needs to do is ask tough questions and put people in a position. And most people said, holy shit. That's Steve Simmons. He's something.

Holy shit. I can't believe he did that. Now, he is a bit of a, yeah. I mean, yeah. Stirer of. Sure he is. He is a Hall of Fame first ballot shitster. Yeah.

But I don't think. I think he's coming up with lies. That is where it becomes difficult with Steve because he did fabricate a piece about Phil Kessel buying hot dogs about two and a half kilometers from his home every day and a hot dog vendor losing his best customer at the day that Kessel was traded, ending his career in Toronto. So, you know, there is the whole,

Steve can ask about the process, but are we just going to take his 19 out of 20 at phase value given that he's basically been caught fabricating a BS story about Phil Kessel? I don't know. Like that's the whole thing. Wow. The only issue would be that there is some truth to it. There's no question it's a controversial hire,

but the way that he frames it isn't necessary. Well, the hockey world does, they are astounded by the hire. That is true. Yeah, I think it's a surprising hire. You're, I mean, the tone of your voice. Well, I mean, it is. You called him a con artist in public.

That's a little strong. I'm not debating that. No, and I'm not debating that it's a surprising hire. His point of it being an astounding is people, the hockey world is like, ooh, boy, but no one said,

oh my God, I can't believe Steve Simmons says it was an astounding hire. They're all going, oh my God, he called him a con artist and a liar. You're not hearing me. You're not hearing. What I'm saying is,

for sure, the hockey world is like, I don't know. Why did you hire? I'm not, the other stuff is, is, you know.

Think Steve Simmons out of it. my hockey world is stunned. It's a surprising, huh? Yeah, yeah. And so asking about the process of I got here is a very valid question. But to sling mud and call names is that's a step further than it needs to go. I mean, entertainment wise, this is great. Entertainment wise, it's so great.

Pour a beer. This is Toronto, the big stock market in the world. Like from an entertainment standpoint, this is unreal. Yeah. But why in the F? The con artist is pretty strong. Hey, I don't worry about Steve Simmons and the con artist comment. Why, if you're the Leafs, would you take on any of this headache?

That's why it's surprising, right? Because there were safer hires out there. Better hires, too. Well, that's what I mean. It's not like, when you're the Arizona Coyotes and you have less money than everyone else and a crazy owner, you could probably justify hiring a 26-year-old at peanuts rather than a full salary and not a tenure guy. He's like, well, we need, you know, we can't go get a big name GM. Toronto is the wealthiest franchise in this league.

It's valued the highest. Its revenues are number one. They can go go to whoever they want. And this was their choice. And that's what's odd. Well, or at least you would think that's the case. It's how they've been run. Is it maybe harder?

What Beam is, boom is saying is that maybe nobody's interested. Here's, I don't give a shit about the Leafs at all. Since they fired your living, and I'm not saying they shouldn't have. All of his talk and interviews and hirings are highly questionable. And I'm talking about the bosses at MLSC. Yep. It's been, right? Like we re-bigeled Don Maloney.

There's some vibes there. There is some odd shit going on down there. Chat GPT. It's like, what the? Which Pellie also took umbrage with. He's like, there's been so many things said that this firm that we hired for the GM search is linked to John Chaka that we were using chat GPT for the trade deadline I came in with. That's all erroneous reporting. And then Chris Johnston, the TSN is like, we stand behind our reporting.

We have no problem with, we didn't then, we don't now. It's. Yeah. And look, like maybe the biggest change here is that ownership structure is different there. This used to be owned by the Ontario Teachers Association pension plan, which is a huge, huge, basically investment company. They say, where can we get good returns? And who's got good ownership and going to give us a return? Hey, look at this entity.

It owns at that time near Canada Center, Rio Sports, an office tower, the Raptors, the Toronto Maple Leafs, other entities, MLS teams. Rogers now has a majority stake in it. And we've seen a lot of the interesting decision making. happening since Rogers has gone from an equal stake with Bell and Tannenbaum and another company owning a smaller piece to now we have a more than half and we're going to be the decision makers we're not on a board with an equal say we are now the decision makers and that's when Brenda Shanahan's gone and that's when you have a guy that hasn't worked in the NHL as the president

or the guy that's running the show and now we see their first hire I think John Jake is really smart and could do a good job there's no reason they need to take on the kind of risk. Why are you? Make him an AGM and bring in a Doug Armstrong with them. You have all the resources. What are you basing your opinion on shaking? Well, I just think there's so few people that accomplished by age 25 what he has. Like he's clearly very smart.

He just said why he accomplished it, though, because Phoenix Cows were a sh- No, before he was hired by Phoenix, before he was hired by Phoenix, they had two teams in each conference using his staff elite's company that he founded with his sister to the tune of a half-million dollar subscription a year, I was told. So you're talking about millions and revenues for a data company that's working in the NHL. That's incredibly impressive. Was he a good GM in Arizona? No. Was there some wins?

That's what you hired him for. Well, yeah, he wasn't ready. He was not ready. You can be a smart person. Right. It doesn't mean your opinion that he's ready now. No, I didn't say he's right. It hasn't worked forever.

What do you talk? I have not said he's ready. I've not said this is a great hire. What I'm saying is he's clearly very smart and he clearly wasn't ready at 26. And he's clearly learned a lot since he was 26. And if you think to what? Well, I mean, have we all learned things since we're 26? Well, you're making blanket statement.

here. You've got nothing to back. So you think a guy that got to be a GM in the other shelf? I think the guy burned his bridges and he pissed people off. I agree with that. I agree with that. I agree with that. To let me to finish my point,

if you really think this guy is smart, it can help you, you don't have to make him the GM. Don't put him in the line of fire. Go get Doug Armstrong and put him by his side. It's so silly. Without a president, without a hockey guy,

not a player that's been in Sweden for the last decade, but someone that's actually run an actual organization that isn't John Chicaa to take some of the heat off him. It makes, no sense to me to put this guy in the line of fire. Even if you think he's a genius, protect him a little. Yeah. And he's clearly smart. I don't know that means he's going to be a good GM.

Guys don't like him. He's rub people the wrong way, but you didn't have to make him the face of this thing. It feels like more than ever, you need some real strong, like you use smart. Maybe it turns out in the end, this guy is pretty smart guy. They need some smart people. They need some real hockey people. and they've hired Sundin, who has a nice guy. He played this sport. Pete Pelly is, you know, media guy. He's a media guy. He is no hockey.

And Cheka's last job, he was suspended by the National Hockey League. Made some huge mistakes. And blacklisted by some other GMs who's like, I'm not talking to that guy. Right. It's a very curious, controversial hire for sure by a team that really, like you say, should be able to get whoever they want. Well, well, look. How much smarter can you be in this number is bullshit? And I'm not trying.

I'm not good. I don't understand it. They built this business and that's great. But sometimes it's the first guy to go and do it that gets ahead of things. It doesn't make you smarter than the next guy. But if it's already out there, how do you compete? Yeah. That's a fair point.

Like did you make money because you were the first in or because you were the best product? I don't know. And to be fair, like unless you're in the NHL measuring these products. I just don't know. If you're so, so smart and good, you get another job before now. Yeah, I mean, I don't think he's dumb. I think he rub people the wrong way and probably.

That makes you dumb. Well, yeah, so socially, I think he had a lot to learn. And I think if you put him in front of it. It's just an odd take. What's kind of saying you agree with us, but you want to cut him some slack? Is that what the? Did you listen to any of the stuff that he said yesterday?

Because he did a bunch of interviews. He went and did the afternoon drive show on the Sportsnet radio station. He sat down with Elliot and did 10 minutes. with him. Like, you listen to him speaking. You're like, okay, like, this is a sharp cat. And he was asked a lot of places, a lot of times about what went wrong in Arizona.

And it would be easy to just make excuses. But I mean, there's something we learned that to listen. Now, maybe this is all BS that he says, oh, if I say this, people will think this. But like, I, I did not leave into those conversations. This guy's a con man and a dummy. And like, this is, he's lying

his way to the top. That was not the impression I was left with. He clearly rubbed people the wrong way. And he clearly threatened a lot of people because he was 26 and he wasn't ready for the job. He probably spent a lot of time saying, look at me, I am worthy of this. And he probably was, it shouldn't have been hired.

You don't think it's threatening if, like, you're the guy in Arizona that spent 30 years pro scouting and they pull a 25 year old from another country in and they give him the GM job, not you? That wouldn't threaten you? They already gave him the job. But no, my point is, is that when he was hired, how many, freaking,

I don't understand what you're trying to get across. It's a fucking weird hire. They didn't have to do it. He ain't no smarter than anyone else. He's not done anything amazing that stands out. Sure, everybody makes mistakes. But if you're actually screwing around, screwing guys over and backstaff, I don't know. But he's sure left with a shitty opinion from everyone.

And I don't trust Steve Simmons so much. But I do believe that you go and call 20 people? He probably did get feedback of that guy's a sheister. Or at least he just went about things the wrong way. We don't trust it. Well, it sounds like, whatever. Richard Nairn is a guy that worked with the team. He was with the PR department with the team when they were in Winnipeg,

back before the move, and then moved with the team when they went down to Phoenix. So he was like 30 years in the National Hockey League between the Jets and the coyotes. This is from his ex-account. when Shane Dohn's contract was up, he wanted to play one more season in Arizona, he was willing to play in the fourth line

and help the young players in the organization. Cheka told him no chance and then advised the Morello's, the owners, against bringing him back in the organization in a hockey role. This is the story, when you talk about intimidation.

This, it was more Cheka didn't want Don around, intimidated by Shane Done, as opposed to maybe the other way around. Yeah, and everyone loves Shane Don't. Like, there was clearly some huge, huge. Remember they pulled Shane Donne's retirement, whatever it was, the banner out of the dumpster,

outside of the, outside of the rink? Yeah. There's more to this guy's doing things that aren't. Like there's some of it. How much of it was because the owner was a clown? Maybe. Well, lots. How much of it is this guy came in?

This guy came in. I'm smarter than everybody. I know the numbers. I've got my stats company. You guys don't know shit. Yeah. Yeah, maybe. But he is not a well-liked guy.

I think it's all that, man. I really do. Like, the whole thing was a bloody clown show for how many years? And the league's propping it up, covering bills. They're not paying contracts that they've signed. They went up to the bubble in Edmonton with no fucking food money or meals set up. Like, it was absolutely joke. And interesting, this is very much, it has nothing to do with anything.

But Ryan and I were talking about before the show yesterday, the Toronto Police hire a new general manager and a president of whatever whoop-de-do kind of thing. Big press comments. Elliot had one-on-one sit downs on SportsNet with Sundin and Cheka, and they went on the afternoon show with Kiprios and Justin Bourne. TSN did not get either Sundin or Cheka on their radio show yesterday. They were not made available. So how the pettiness, the caught.

And again, it's the first time they've had these kinds of hires since Rogers became the majority owner. It's a lot. What are you thinking if you're Austin Matthews? Because everywhere you go, you go to get gas, you go to get milk. So what's going on, Turkey? What's with the lease? What's what your team?

I would get the hell out of Toronto like yesterday. And that's maybe not fair, but I feel the same way. I feel the same way too. I think the lease will never lose their fans. think there's probably diehard fans that have this is the last straw that have that are going what in the are we doing and again like you could there is no team that can out resource you in hockey on earth if you want a guy offer them 15 million a year like christ juries making 10 in new york i heard that's a huge amount of money it's not because he's looked and said this is the place that you know

I think I have the best chance to win. It's like, because fucking 10 million bucks you're going to deal with James Dolan. I can do that for 10 million bucks. You can't pay more. There's no reason. You're not cutting coupons if you're the Toronto Maple Leafs. You're probably worth like $7,8 billion.

And it's like, well, who would you go and get if you could buy it? I don't know who it would be. I don't even know what I'm. This guy was not a top candidate out there. We didn't hear his name for other jobs. I think he's a very smart guy, but like make him any. There's no reason to put him in this line of fire.

Like he shouldn't be the guy. It would be an interesting question. If you could choose, what did Nashville talk to? Did Vancouver talk to? Your Jersey just had an opening. Like he's, and he's been out of work for a while. Yeah. Out of work as it, like he's got his other.

Did the flames talk to him? Doubtful. Right? Like, they haven't heard his name. No. No. That's why it's like. And some of these guys, you hear their name because they want their name out there.

And then other guys, like we're starting to hear this Brett Peterson out of Florida AGM. His name's come up a lot. Somebody gold, Andy Golding is in Boston AGM. Like the AGMs that people think are really sharp, you hear their names. And that are currently employed. Yeah. Not guys that have been out of work since 2020 or whatever. Yeah, like Sunny Meta, his name was out there. That was a guy that was going to become a GM soon.

Like he just knew. It was really good and smart. I'm not saying so smart. Probably. Wicked smart. But if he was someone you could work with, wouldn't you think that there would have been an AGM, some team that's going, you know what? I don't like your attitude about certain things, but we'll use your knowledge. You can have the room in the back here. The, uh, there was sort of this rumor that Mike Gillis was way down the road with the

Leafs and Chaker was going to be a piece of this front office and that maybe. Chaker's involved. I'm okay. See you. And so that's how much he rubbed people the wrong way. I would be being a GM in your 20s with that shitty organization. and the way he was out. And it'd be one thing,

okay, you're a bit of a dick to work with, but his track record speaks for itself. You'll put up with, no, his track record is not strong. So did they make the playoffs? No.

Did he consistently draft well? No. Did he win trades more than half time? No. Was he great to deal with? No. Did he sewer Shane Dohn, Hall of Fame,

yes. You didn't need to put him here. And Shane Done was in Toronto. Not anymore. Remember Trilling brought Shane Don in Toronto? Yeah, that's over. Shane's, uh, see if fellas are not going to hang

I'm good it's probably not the worst place to be leaving right now good luck leifs good luck also one thing that can make today better sorry yeah that draft lottery better go number if they slide from five to six oh baby

uh we'll wrap this up and we'll get to the Pinner report but people were so so Steve Simmons a bit of a you know grump maybe grumpy grumpy fella is a little muck raker you call on But he did say he talked to one guy.

He talked 20 people. Like one guy said it was. So some people were wondering, well, I wonder who that one guy could be, well, Brian Burke maybe, because Burke used to work in Toronto. So maybe,

question the name. Are you running the next U.S. Olympic team? Ask them. That's the best part about today, Steve, is that I probably don't ever have to talk to you again, so you can ask them.

Of course, going back to when Brian left to Trump. So, Probably Brian Burke would not have been on that list of guys that Steve reached out to. Maybe he reached out, not sure if he heard back. Try again. Leave a number. Hey, Brian, it's Steve leaving another message.

You can just get back to me. I got a question about a guy. I would appreciate it if you can do that. And again, from a seat in Western Canada or any non-Turano-based city in this league, it's the Kermit with the T meme. Like, this is. And you know what I was thinking, Popcorn.

Right. And somewhere yesterday, Brad Trillivin was sitting somewhere watching this stuff unfold. But what if he's chortling? And it's like, your time is, it didn't go well. Made some bad, admittedly some bad calls there. What's he thinking watching that? Well, I'm trying to think. Like, would he have overlapped to Chaka in the desert or would he have been out of there in Calgary before Chaka got there?

It's a good question. Yeah, I don't know. He would have dealt with him anyway because there's a lot of. only so many guys in that chair in the league for a long time. He worked with Keith Pelly. Would he be the one of 20 or the 19 of 20? I wonder what the 20 counts out with Keith Pelley right now.

Do you want to watch that presser one more time? I want Keith Pelley on the hot seat more than the, like, he was very trying to. Didn't really go to bat for his guy. Didn't go to bat, but he was trying to just ignore it. Next. You made a massive. of hire here that is full of question marks.

Yeah. What the up were you thinking? And the other thing, you're in Toronto. You've lived in Toronto. He's a Toronto guy. You've heard of Steve Simmons. You know he's coming to the press. Are you not fucking ready for this shit?

You didn't have anything? You knew that was going to happen. Steve Simmons. I'll tell you what, though, even if I was prepared for some saucy stuff. Yeah. I still would have been like, oh my God. I would have just gone like, you know, Steve, we all saw your journalistic standards with the Phil Kessel Hot Dog story. So if that's your take that's great.

We'll be happy to read it. How does it else asking stuff then? Let's take Steve Simmons out of it. What's the take on people that we know, trust, like professional? Like other questions, the press conference are what people writing about? No one is, no one sees this as a good hire. No. That's what I'm getting at is that they'll spin it and be professional about it and ask polite questions.

Right. Like, tell some of your process. How did you arrive? with John, what's he been up to you? Why does he think he's better than where it was when he left Arizona? Because all that chatter is all BS. You know when you ask a politician a question and you get, well, it's good. And there's a kiss my ass.

It's good. You're not even answering my question, right? What was, what were they? So they hired a manager, somebody to hire this guy. Did, if my staff, the Leafs hired a consulting. They used a guy that does represent some candidates. Well, we got to put together out there or we got to pay these people to do the decisions for us. Are you fucking qualified or not?

And the guy does a lot of search stuff and he had also represent some of the guys that would have come up in searches. But it's just, it's so unnecessary. I don't know if you, they represented them in this instance or not. But you clearly was part of a net. You can only pray them. Oh, dude, Sunny Meadow was the high profile guy that in the past had worked with this representative for management people. He ends up in church. Who did you talk to, though, like, sorry.

Yeah, go ahead. Doug Armstrong? No, no, no. Okay. Who do you think the Leafs and their management, whoever they hired and keep Pelley and who, who did they talk to that said, like who, you're going to ask a background check, aren't you? Well, that's basically what Steve is saying, very impolitan. lightly was like how did you i know but who did you talk to then i don't know and if you didn't well whoever you asked like that seems like an outlier opinion who yeah like what are keith

pelly's connections inside the hockey world what is his he run he's one of the bosses of the most powerful fans but very recently and sire was running the european golf tour like can't call people it's a very very confounding hire and it's been you can we don't know whether chika's going to make good moves or bad moves because that's guessing the future but to take on this amount of risk was entirely unnecessary it's not there's i just don't see this guy outweighing all the shit you just inherited i don't either this is a shit show because it's like now everyone's like you you got to prove that you're not a complete idiot and it's For years, everything to do is going to be questioned here. And what's he getting handed? It's not great. It's a unique spot.

What's he getting handed as far as, okay, you've got the dough. What are you making here with this? It's a team that finished sixth from the bottom in the NHL. Six to the bottom. Their D is beat the piss. They've got no. Goaltending is average. Their scar has a year left.

It has always been known as wanting to be gone, like, or had rumors about it, at least. Yeah, you could bring in the most likable and case. capable executive. And he would still have his hands very full rather than an incredibly polarizing one and a green former player who's never worked for a team. That's the other thing. Matt is at the end of the table.

I'm nice. I'm nice, guys. I love Matt Sandin. He's great human being. He looks so awkward. Can you imagine if Connie was put right into a VP role? Like he spent years learning the business. We've talked about things that have not maybe gone to plan in Calgary. That's one thing that's gone well.

You groomed the guy to become a GM and now he's a GM. There should have been one more piece of the puzzle. They're missing the president guy. Yes. They needed another. I don't think about Doug Armstrong. I don't care about titles or whatever. Yeah.

But just one more person there to. Yeah. One more. An established, we trust you. Like Doug Armstrong's run the Olympic teams is a perfect no. Did he make some good moves in St. Louis? Yeah.

Is he a capable GM? Yeah. Like that guy with these. two, that makes sense. Are there leaves fans listening? What do the fans think? I don't think fans are, it's almost silence.

It's like, I can't just, oh my God. Yeah, the Steve Dangal reaction was what you think it was. We're bleeped. Yeah. Oh, well, it's, could you, if he is that disliked around the league, how's he picking up the phone or going, hey, I got to, if he has a plan for his team,

And it involves moving pieces. The only good news is, what was it seven years ago he was in that chair? Like you hope there's a lot of fresh blood and guys that you haven't screwed over. Biz, nasty on chicklets yesterday. Because he's been a leaf, guys like,

hey, go leaves. He wears his leaves jagged his whole thing. He was asked about it. I would take a bullet for Shane. Don't. I love that man. I am out.

F the leaves. F. Chaker, I'm out. There's too much smoke. Oh, good stuff.