Vegas Golden Knights fire Bruce Cassidy, hire John Tortorella with eight games left in regular season

Key facts

• Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday with eight games left in the 2025-26 regular season.
• Cassidy led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2023, the first in franchise history.
• John Tortorella was hired as the fourth head coach in Golden Knights history.
• Tortorella has coached 1,620 NHL games with a record of 770-648-37, ranking ninth all-time in wins.
• Tortorella was an assistant coach for Team USA when it won gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
• The Golden Knights are 5-12 in their last 17 games and hold 80 points, four ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.
• Tortorella was fired by the Philadelphia Flyers in March 2025 after a verbal altercation with defenseman Cam York.
• Flyers captain Sean Couturier said he had more conversations with new coach Rick Tocchet in three months than in two years with Tortorella.

A stunning late-season coaching change in Vegas

The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday, replacing him with John Tortorella with only eight games remaining in the regular season. Cassidy led the franchise to its first Stanley Cup championship in 2023, but a late-season collapse prompted general manager Kelly McCrimmon to act. The team has lost six of its past seven games and is 5-12 since the Olympic break, barely clinging to a playoff spot. McCrimmon announced the move a day after the Golden Knights fell to third place in the Pacific Division with 80 points, just four points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. “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 in a statement.

Tortorella returns to the NHL after a turbulent year

John Tortorella, 67, joins the Golden Knights for his 24th NHL season as a head coach. He was out of the league this season after being fired by the Philadelphia Flyers in March 2025 with nine games left in the 2024-25 campaign. His dismissal followed a verbal altercation with young defenseman Cam York in the dressing room during a game. Tortorella spent the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach on Mike Sullivan's staff for the U.S. men's Olympic team, which won gold at the Milan Cortina Games last month. He is a Stanley Cup champion, having led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the title in 2004, and has won more than 700 NHL games.

Cassidy's abrupt fall from grace

Bruce Cassidy, 60, was in his fourth season with Vegas and had a 12-year NHL coaching career with three teams, most notably the Boston Bruins. He led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2023, but the team has failed to replicate that success in subsequent postseasons. Despite being on pace to make the playoffs again, management decided Cassidy was not the right coach for a deep run. Cassidy's firing underscores the high expectations in Vegas, a team that has made the playoffs in every season of its existence. The Golden Knights have 80 points, which would currently qualify for the postseason, but their recent slide has eroded confidence.

Tortorella's polarizing reputation and history of discipline

Tortorella is both the most famous and most infamous coach in the NHL. He has been suspended four times by the league, including a 15-day suspension in 2014 for attempting to enter the Calgary Flames' locker room during a game. He has been fined multiple times for criticizing officials, most recently a $50,000 fine and two-game suspension in 2023 for berating referees after a game. Despite his disciplinary record, Tortorella's resume is formidable. He is the first American-born NHL coach to win 500 games, a two-time Jack Adams Award winner, and ranks ninth on the all-time wins list with 770 victories, 12 shy of Al Arbour. He has coached 1,620 games, posting a record of 770-648-37.

Fallout in Philadelphia: Couturier's pointed remarks

Tortorella's departure from Philadelphia left a bitter aftertaste. Flyers captain Sean Couturier, when asked about his relationship with new head coach Rick Tocchet, said: “Already had some really good conversations with him, probably more over the last three months (with Tocchet) than over two years with Torts. It’s fun to just go back & forth and get to know each other.” The comment was widely seen as a blunt indictment of Tortorella's communication style. The Flyers replaced Tortorella with Tocchet, a former Philadelphia player who spent 11 of his 18 NHL seasons with the franchise. Under Tocchet, the Flyers are 36-24-12 and are making a late-season playoff push, holding 84 points and trailing the Columbus Blue Jackets by three points for the second Eastern Conference wild card spot.

What Tortorella brings to Vegas and the road ahead

Tortorella inherits a team that is in a precarious position. The Golden Knights are 5-12 in their last 17 games and hold a slim four-point lead over the Kings for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. With eight games left, Tortorella must quickly stabilize the team and instill his demanding system. McCrimmon expressed confidence in Tortorella's experience, calling him “a Stanley Cup Champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the NHL.” The Golden Knights are hoping that Tortorella's no-nonsense approach can reverse their fortunes and propel them into the postseason with momentum.

A high-stakes gamble for a franchise accustomed to winning

The decision to fire a championship-winning coach with eight games left is unprecedented in the NHL and reflects the Golden Knights' win-now mentality. Since entering the league in 2017, Vegas has never missed the playoffs, and anything short of a deep run is considered failure. Tortorella's hiring is a bet that his veteran presence and track record can unlock the team's potential under immense pressure. If Tortorella succeeds, he will cement his legacy as a coach who can deliver in the clutch. If he fails, the move will be remembered as a desperate gamble that cost a beloved coach his job. For now, all eyes are on the Golden Knights as they embark on the final stretch of the regular season with a new voice behind the bench.

The bottom line

• Vegas fired Bruce Cassidy despite him winning the Stanley Cup in 2023, citing a need for a change with eight games left.
• John Tortorella returns to the NHL after being fired by Philadelphia in 2025 and serving as an Olympic assistant.
• Tortorella is the ninth-winningest coach in NHL history with 770 victories and a Stanley Cup title.
• The Golden Knights are in a playoff spot but have lost six of seven games and hold a four-point lead over the Kings.
• Flyers captain Sean Couturier publicly criticized Tortorella, highlighting his strained relationships with players.
• Tortorella has been suspended four times and fined multiple times for incidents involving officials and fans.