The Golden Knights announced Sunday that head coach Bruce Cassidy was terminated and that John Tortorella has been hired to replace him. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon stated the change was "necessary for us to return to the level of play that is expected of our club," with the team losing 12 of its last 16 games.
Cassidy, who led Vegas to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023, is terminated with the team in playoff position — third place in the Pacific Division — and a four-point lead over the Kings for that spot in the division with eight games remaining. Cassidy was hired in 2022, and the team made the playoffs every season of his tenure.
Tortorella will now coach his sixth NHL franchise, after stints with the Lightning, Rangers, Canucks, Blue Jackets and Flyers. He won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004, and has a career record of 770-648-37-165. His last head coaching position was with the Flyers from 2022 to 2025, fired one year and two days ago. He recently served as an assistant coach for Mike Sullivan's U.S. gold-medal winning Olympic hockey team.
My take: Nothing more tenuous than being a head coach in the NHL. Cassidy's had success, going to the playoffs in 10 of his last NHL coaching seasons. Soon enough we'll discover whether this was the right move for Vegas.
THE ASYLUM
Vegas cans Cassidy, hires Torts
The Golden Knights announced Sunday that head coach Bruce Cassidy was terminated and that John Tortorella has been hired to replace him. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon stated the change was "necessary for us to return to the level of play that is expected of our club," with the team losing 12 of its last 16 games.
Cassidy, who led Vegas to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023, is terminated with the team in playoff position — third place in the Pacific Division — and a four-point lead over the Kings for that spot in the division with eight games remaining. Cassidy was hired in 2022, and the team made the playoffs every season of his tenure.
Tortorella will now coach his sixth NHL franchise, after stints with the Lightning, Rangers, Canucks, Blue Jackets and Flyers. He won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004, and has a career record of 770-648-37-165. His last head coaching position was with the Flyers from 2022 to 2025, fired one year and two days ago. He recently served as an assistant coach for Mike Sullivan's U.S. gold-medal winning Olympic hockey team.
My take: Nothing more tenuous than being a head coach in the NHL. Cassidy's had success, going to the playoffs in 10 of his last NHL coaching seasons. Soon enough we'll discover whether this was the right move for Vegas.
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