TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are searching for a new coach after officially parting ways with Craig Berube on Wednesday.
General manager John Chayka kept most of the details surrounding Berube's departure close to the vest when he met with media to discuss Berube's firing. But Chayka was clear that Leafs captain Auston Matthews -- whose rumored uncertainty about his future with the club has been a talking point since Toronto missed the playoffs this season -- had nothing to do with the decision not to bring back Berube.
"None. Zero," Chayka said of what consideration was given to Matthews in the process.
Rather, moving on from Berube -- who lasted just two seasons at his post -- was part of a larger organizational shift that began in earnest when Chayka was hired earlier this month -- along with senior adviser Mats Sundin -- by CEO Keith Pelley to turn Toronto around following a dismal 2025-26 campaign.
Berube, 60, was the second casualty -- after former GM Brad Treliving was let go in March -- of the Leafs posting a 32-36-14 record to finish seventh in the Atlantic Division and failing to secure a postseason slot for the first time since 2016-17. Just one year ago, Berube took Toronto to a second-round series for just the second time since 2012. The Leafs didn't respond the same way to Berube in a sophomore year that was directly impacted by the loss of top winger Mitch Marner (via trade to Vegas), inconsistent goaltending and poor defensive play.
The silver lining to Toronto's free fall came in the form of winning the NHL's draft lottery on May 5 to give them the first overall pick in June's NHL entry draft.
Ironically, it was with the top selection in 2016 that Toronto used to select Matthews. A decade later, the Leafs are trying again to reinvent themselves.
"We didn't make this decision in a vacuum," Chayka said of Berube's firing. "This is a bigger-picture decision. It's not just about the coach. We feel like there are some things we need to change and do better and be better [at]. That starts with me and Mats and myself at the top, with Keith and the Board aligning on a vision and a path ahead."
Chayka wasn't willing to say what he's uncovered that needs fixing, declaring that Wednesday was "about the coaches...at the right time, we should have that discussion [about other changes], but not today."
What Chayka didn't want was to leave Berube hanging. They had conversations in person over the week and a half since Chayka was named Toronto's GM, and Chayka said it was "better not to delay" letting Berube know he wasn't coming back when the final verdict was rendered on Tuesday.
"It's out of respect to him," Chayka said. "I think Craig, his heart is in it. I think he felt he had some unfinished business [in the game] and I think he's got a lot of great connections [out there]."
Now it's on Chayka to identify who the right person is to guide Toronto from behind the bench. The incoming person will decide on which assistants will remain -- all of Derek Lalonde, Mike van Ryan and Steve Sullivan served under Berube -- but again Chayka provided no details on what sort of head coach the Leafs were looking for, beyond that the search would be a large one.
"I think out of respect to the process and the candidates, I don't want to get into [specifics]," Chayka said. "It could also be [taken] if I did that Craig was missing something which I don't think would be fair. We will have a thorough process, and it'll be a wide search. We will take our time to get it right."
Chayka said he didn't solicit any feedback from Leafs players prior to settling things with Berube, and that wouldn't be a priority either in choosing a new one. While it would be ideal to have someone in place before the first round of the draft on June 23, Chayka isn't willing to rush things, either.
"There's no timeline," Chayka said. "There are key milestones [coming up], but we will do a wide search and talk to a lot of people."
Whoever lands the job will help craft Toronto's direction from here, an effort that Chayka contends will be rooted in collaboration.
Stay tuned for what, exactly, that projects to look like.
"Regardless of who the coach is, we should have an organizational vision on how we play," said Chayka. "And the things we value and then through the process we will align on that."
Berube went 84-62-18 with Toronto, but the drop in points -- from 108 to 78 -- was the team's largest year-over-year points decline.
Toronto added a trio of forwards -- Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy -- in hopes of replacing Marner's minutes by committee on a team thought to be still poised for Stanley Cup contention.
The Maple Leafs, however, never really got out of second gear. Along with a string of key injuries and absences, the club largely looked out of sorts from puck drop.
Despite a roster still anchored by star forwards Matthews and William Nylander, the Maple Leafs' power play was a huge issue.
Defensive deficiencies also caused glaring problems for a club that finished with the second-worst goals-against mark and was outshot a league-worst 66 times.
Berube's coaching journey began with the Philadelphia Flyers organization after he retired as a player. He worked his way up the ladder, moving from the AHL to the NHL as an assistant in 2006-07.
He took over as Flyers head coach early in 2013-14 and lasted another season before getting fired.
Berube then led the St. Louis Blues' AHL affiliate after a year on the sideline. He became an NHL associate coach in 2017-18 and was promoted to the top job with St. Louis in November 2018.
Berube rallied the group, which at one point sat last in the overall standings, to make the playoffs before it went on a magical run that culminated with the franchise's only Cup victory.
Berube lost in the first round each of the next three seasons and missed out entirely in 2022-23. The Blues fired him just 28 games into the subsequent campaign.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.