Golden Knights Make Controversial Coaching Move After Stanley Cup Final Loss

When the Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella with just eight games left in the regular season, many thought the team was off its rocker.

Tortorella led Vegas to a 7-0-1 record to close out the regular season, and the Knights went 14-8 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.

It wasn't clear whether Tortorella was with Vegas for the long haul or just for this season, and shortly after the Knights' season came to an end, the team made it clear what his coaching future held.

"Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon has announced John Tortorella will not return to the team’s coaching staff following the 2025-26 season," the team announced on social media.

Fans flooded the comment section with questions about why Tortorella was brought in for just a limited run, while others criticized the team for going with a temporary band-aid after Cassidy was fired.

McCrimmon elaborated further on the two sides parting ways in an official statement.

"We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March," McCrimmon said. "When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season.

"Torts' experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final. We are grateful for Torts' passion, sincerity, and commitment to our organization, and we wish him and his family the best."

Regardless of who Vegas' head coach is, the team still has a Stanley Cup-caliber roster.

The offense has plenty of scoring threats - Jack Eichel (27 goals, 90 points), Mitch Marner (24 goals, 80 points), Mark Stone (28 goals, 73 points), Pavel Dorofeyev (37 goals, 64 points), and Ivan Barbashev (23 goals, 61 points) - and the defense has plenty of punch with Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, Jeremy Lauzon, and Rasmus Andersson.

Anaheim Ducks assistant coach and former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft and former New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy could be among the frontrunners to replace Tortorella.

Ryan Craig, head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights (Vegas' American Hockey League affiliate), could also be in the running.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM.