Sakic interviewed Bednar on the recommendation of assistant general manager Chris MacFarland: "He brought his name to the table and I value his opinion, but after the interview process {with several candidates] I went away for a few days to reflect by myself," Sakic said. "I did my own homework, [made] my own phone calls. Jared Bednar is the one I decided on, obviously, with the help of some GMs and some friends that did know him, played against him. I had a lot of input about him and other candidates from a lot of people around the League. To a man, everybody said the same thing: He's a very demanding coach, but he's fair with the players as well. They're going to know exactly what he expects and I'm excited to see this team react to his style."