The Vegas Golden Knights are fighting for a playoff spot within the weak Pacific Division. Though this season isn’t as much as their high standards, the move they made Sunday stunned the hockey world. The Golden Knights have fired Bruce Cassidy in favor of John Tortorella.
“The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach. John Tortorella has been named head coach,” the team’s official social media account announced.
The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach.
John Tortorella has been named head coach.#VegasBornhttps://t.co/TSTwVqXlbQ
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 29, 2026
The Golden Knights lost 5-4 to the Washington Capitals in a shootout on Saturday night. That marked their sixth loss of their last seven games, pushing them to 3rd within the Pacific Division. Though that continues to be comfortably in a playoff spot, given the weak depth of the division, Vegas made a move.
Torotrella was most recently on the bench for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2022-25. In three seasons on Broad Street, the team didn’t reach the playoffs and never eclipsed 38 wins. His relationship with younger players was a degree of contention among the many Flyers and their fans.
The excellent news for the Golden Knights is that they should not have many younger players. They’ve routinely mortgaged the longer term for players of their prime, as proven by their effort to land Mitch Marner within the offseason. But this group has not pulled off the regular-season greatness expected in Vegas. Their .541 points percentage can be the worst in franchise history.
Tortorella won the 2004 Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning and had some successful seasons with the Recent York Rangers. If he can speak to this group, he could add an unexpected ring to his trophy case.
Cassidy won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, but it surely didn’t earn him an extended leash with the notoriously trigger-happy front office. He ends his run with a 178-99-43 record within the regular season and a 40-24-16 record within the playoffs.
The Vegas Golden Knights are fighting for a playoff spot within the weak Pacific Division. Though this season isn’t as much as their high standards, the move they made Sunday stunned the hockey world. The Golden Knights have fired Bruce Cassidy in favor of John Tortorella. “The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach.