The Vegas Golden Knights are navigating the final stretch of the regular season with hopes to clinch a postseason berth as they sit third in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division with 80 points in 74 games.
Despite sitting third and having a four-point lead over the wild-card cutout point in the standings (the Los Angeles Kings with 76 points), Vegas’ recent form raised concerns internally.
The Golden Knights have lost 12 of their last 16 games and own one of the worst records in the league since the Olympic break. That stretch seemed to be a big enough concern for the franchise to pull off a major coaching decision on Sunday, with just eight games remaining in their regular season.
Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Imagess
(John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Imagess)
The Golden Knights fired Stanley Cup-winning head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella, who also won the title back in 2004 while coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon explained the move in an official statement announcing the coaching swap.
“With the stretch run of the 2025-26 regular season upon us, we believe that a change is necessary for us to return to the level of play that is expected of our club,” McCrimmon said.
McCrimmon acknowledged Cassidy’s success, including leading the team to a Stanley Cup title in 2023 and maintaining one of the league’s best records over his tenure.
“Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our ultimate goal in 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas,” McCrimmon said. “Bruce will forever be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was accomplished here.”
The organization, known for its aggressive approach since joining the NHL back in time for the 2020-21 season, reasoned the decision on chasing an immediate improvement and better on-ice results.
“With John Tortorella, we bring in a Stanley Cup champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the NHL,” McCrimmon said. “His guidance will be a great asset to our team at the pivotal point in the season we currently face. We look forward to welcoming John to Vegas.”
The Golden Knights next face the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, with puck drop set for 10 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.