Bruce Cassidy, who led the Vegas Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, was fired Sunday.
The move was announced by general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who also confirmed that veteran NHL coach John Tortorella will take over behind the bench for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
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Cassidy departs after four seasons with the Golden Knights, highlighted by the franchise’s championship run in 2023. Despite that success, the organization elected to make a change as it looks to regain consistency down the stretch of the current campaign.
Bruce Cassidu got the raw end of this deal. Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie
“We thank Bruce Cassidy for his dedication to our hockey club and community over the past four seasons,” McCrimmon said. “Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our ultimate goal in 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas. Bruce will forever be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was accomplished here.”
McCrimmon added that the timing of the decision was driven by the team’s current performance and the need to reset expectations as the regular season enters its final phase.
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“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.
The Golden Knights are turning to Tortorella, one of the most experienced coaches in NHL history, to provide a new voice and direction. McCrimmon pointed to Tortorella’s résumé as a major factor in the decision.
“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.”
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Tortorella arrives with 23 seasons of NHL head coaching experience, most recently with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2022 to 2025. His previous stop included a six-year tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he helped guide the franchise to its first-ever second-round playoff appearance in 2019 and earned the Jack Adams Award following the 2016-17 season.
Over his career, Tortorella has coached 1,620 NHL games—ranking sixth all-time—and has compiled 770 wins. His résumé also includes stints with the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2004.
The coaching change marks a significant pivot for the Golden Knights as they look to stabilize their play and push toward another deep postseason run under new leadership.
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