I didn’t start dedicating myself to writing until I was 28, and it always frustrates me to no avail when I look back on my directionless 20s and think about how further along in my career I could be if I just fucking did it when I was so much younger.
I could be like, I dunno, Dan Brown or some shit.
John Chayka won’t have that sort of longing when he reminisces because, at 26 years old, he’s about to be named GM of the Phoenix Coyotes.
That’s fucking right. At 26, he’s reaching a pinnacle it takes most decades to reach.
ESPN’s Craig Custance had the scoop.
Big news coming in Arizona. Coyotes expected to name 26-year-old John Chayka the GM at Thursday press conference.
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) May 4, 2016
Look at this Bro.
He actually doesn’t look 26 at all. Might need to do some truthering here.
Regardless of his real age, Chayka came to the Coyotes after co-founding Stathlete, a video/analytics shop for pro hockey. He springboarded from there, landing an assistant GM gig in the desert and now, after just a year with the team, he’s being given the keys to the franchise.
Here’s what Coyotes co-owner Anthony LeBlanc had to say about Chayka, after the team dismissed their previous GM, Don Maloney, back in April.
“He has absolutely been a very impressive hire. A very poised young man – mature beyond his years. He’s been an incredibly positive addition to this organization. I really got to witness it first hand when I sat in the war room in Pittsburgh for trade deadline,” LeBlanc said. “Just the sheer amount of knowledge he brings. But at the end of the day it’s not like it’s a new thing in sports – it’s obviously been well documented, the importance of analytics. But it’s not the be-all-end-all. I’m not sitting here saying we’re going to turn ourselves into a Wall Street firm and have 25 kids here doing numbers, but I think there’s a fine balance and that’s what we’re trying to find.”
The Coyotes missed a wild card spot by nine points this season.
[H/T Business Insider]