The Vegas Golden Knights announced they’ve fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and hired John Tortorella.
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
This move by GM Kelly McCrimmon comes a day after the Golden Knights fell to the Washington Capitals and former goaltender Logan Thompson. As a source told NHLRumors.com, “Vegas bet on the mistaken horse.” This refers back to the Golden Knights selecting Adin Hill over Thompson.
Just like Bowness and @BlueJacketsNHL, Torts is hired until the top of the season. https://t.co/LgQrQJXUE2
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 29, 2026
NHL Rumors: Vegas Golden Knights Need to Re-Sign Rasmus Andersson
Jokingly is former General Manager Lou Lamoriello a senior adviosr in Vegas. Firing a coach this late is straight from his book. Remember he fired Robbie Ftorek as the top coach of the Latest Jersey Devils within the 1999-2000 with seven games left within the season replacing him with Larry Robinson. The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Lamoriello also fired Claude Julien back in 2007 with Latest Jersey in second place within the Eastern Conference. Lamoriello took over behind the bench with three games left within the season. So that is nothing recent. But it surely is rare to see this late within the season. Nonetheless, Vegas is underperforming and sit 4 points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for third within the Pacific Division.
Cassidy had another yr on his deal next seaon. https://t.co/43NEtxZN9S
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 29, 2026
Cassidy was brought in the summertime of 2022 after being let go by the Boston Bruins. In his first season with the Golden Knights, he brought them to a Stanley Cup Championship. Now, with one season left on his contract, come this summer, Cassidy is once more out of a job.
GM Kelly McCrimmon in a press release: “We thank Bruce Cassidy for his dedication to our hockey club and community over the past 4 seasons. Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our ultimate goal in 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas. Bruce will ceaselessly be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was completed here. With the stretch run of the 2025-26 regular season upon us, we imagine that a change is obligatory for us to return to the extent of play that is anticipated of our club. With John Tortorella, we usher in a Stanley Cup Champion in addition to probably the most experienced and revered coaches within the NHL. His guidance can be an incredible asset to our team on the pivotal point within the season we currently face. We sit up for welcoming John to Vegas.”
NHL Rumors: Vegas Golden Knights Centers
But it surely shouldn’t be like nobody saw this coming. The Vegas Golden Knights are known to do that. Perhaps not this late, but for the reason that franchise got here into existence in 2017-18, John Tortorella can be its fourth head coach, following Gerard Gallant, Pete DeBoer, and Cassidy.
Vegas has been in existence for 8-plus seasons with:
– 7 playoff appearances
– 2 conference finals
– 2 trips to the ultimate
– 1 Stanley CupJohn Tortorella will now be their 4th head coach. And other people think there’s pressure playing in Toronto?#VegasBorn
— Michael Amato (@amato_mike) March 29, 2026
Over that span, the Golden Knights have been within the Stanley Cup Playoffs seven times, two conference final appearances, two Stanley Cup Final appearances, and one Stanley Cup. It’s the winning business for McCrimmon, not the hockey business.
Nonetheless, you could possibly see this coming. The Golden Knights are only not nearly as good defensively as they’ve been in years past. Not having Alex Pietrangelo hurts the team, but Nic Hauge and Zach Whitecloud are usually not there as well. Noah Hanifin remains to be finding his way there and shouldn’t be having the very best of years. Rasmus Andersson has looked lost in Vegas since being traded from Calgary. Let’s see if he finally ends up signing long-term there.
NHL Trade: The Calgary Flames Trade Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights
For a team that likes big swings on the trade deadline, they didn’t do much. McCrimmon felt that the goaltending of Akira Schmid, Adin Hill, and Carter Hart was adequate. Nonetheless, Tortorella is coming in for one thing only: to get the team playing higher, structured defence.
Tortorella won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 having coached the Latest York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Vancouver Canucks. He’s trying to do the identical in Vegas with a few familiar faces in Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. Each players were on Team USA Olympic Gold Medal winning team.
?Night Cap Recap ?
Bruce Cassidy Out… John Tortorella In
It’s About Winning in Vegas
Lou Lamoriello Special #vegasborn pic.twitter.com/HsQaXAKYNj
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) March 29, 2026
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