LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Bruce Cassidy is out as coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, who fired him Sunday in an abrupt late-season change and replaced him with John Tortorella.
Tortella spoke at City National Arena on Monday about his new position and the opportunity to coach VGK.
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General manager Kelly McCrimmon announced the move a day after the team lost three in a row and six of its past seven games. Vegas is in third place in the Pacific Division and on track to make the playoffs despite the recent skid.
Tortorella joins the organization for his 24th NHL season as a head coach. He was not in the league this year and was an assistant for the U.S. at the Milan Cortina Olympics when it won gold. He coached Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup in 2004.
Cassidy led the Golden Knights to the Cup in 2023 and got fired less than three years later.
“Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our ultimate goal in 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas,” McCrimmon said in a statement. “Bruce will forever be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was accomplished here. 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.
“With John Tortorella, we bring in a Stanley Cup Champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the NHL. His guidance will be a great asset to our team at the pivotal point in the season we currently face.”
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