As the Toronto Maple Leafs search for a new head coach, no stone will be left unturned by general manager John Chayka.
"We're gonna have a very wide and deep search, people across varying backgrounds and experiences, and through that we'll pick the right leader," Chayka told reporters on Wednesday.
Hours earlier, the team announced it had fired Craig Berube after two seasons at the helm. Chayka said the decision was made on Tuesday.
The Maple Leafs are coming off their first missed post-season in a decade.
Chayka, hired as GM alongside senior advisor Mats Sundin earlier in May, did not get into specifics of what he was looking for in the next coach, saying he "wouldn't discount anything at this time."
"Regardless of who the coach is, we should have an organizational vision on how we play and the things we value," he said.
And while Chayka did say that he's met with some players, they did not factor in the decision to part with Berube. That includes captain Auston Matthews, he said.
"We did not solicit feedback from the players on the coaching staff at all," he said.
Under Berube's watch this season, the Leafs allowed the second-most goals in the NHL while sitting 16th in scoring, a recipe that produced a finish of fifth-last overall.
With star scorers like Matthews and William Nylander under contract for at least two more seasons, there is a thought that the Maple Leafs should hire a coach who employs a higher-tempo system.
But Chayka said he is keeping his options open.
"Having the roster fit the coach and the style of play is always an important aspect of it, but I don't think that was the deciding factor of this decision," he said.
Chayka, 36, added that there is no timeline in place to choose a new coach. The Los Angeles Kings are the only other NHL franchise currently in need of a new bench boss.
He also confirmed that special advisor Shane Doan would indeed be leaving the team, as previously reported.
Meanwhile, Chayka said he has not yet formally met with Matthews, though they've had conversations.
"I think he wants to align on the vision and the strategy ahead, as do we. And so I don't think there's any type of competing interests," Chayka said. "I think it's (let's) go get on the same page."
Come June, the Maple Leafs' failures this season will pay off with the No. 1 overall pick at the draft, when they are expected to choose between wingers Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg.
In the meantime, the coaching search is on.
"We'll have a thorough process," Chayka said. "It'll be a wide search, we'll take our time, try to get it right."
