You've got to love it when old head coaches give ringing endorsements of the new guard. They instill confidence in the new head coach, ensuring that everything will go as planned. That's no different with Bruce Cassidy, who gave a ringing endorsement of the new Vegas Golden Knights head coach, Ryan Craig.
Speaking to the boys at Unscripted, the former Stanley Cup champion talked about how he thinks Ryan Craig will do in his first season with the Golden Knights. He believes that the new guard will do just fine behind the bench this upcoming season.
"But I do think that the players will like him. He'll be a guy that they'll want to play for. And as I said, when the calls come and, you know, when to change, you know, in game management or changing up lines or looking at different chemistry, those are the things that, you know, coaches have to get right."Bruce Cassidy on Ryan Craig
Craig has spent his coaching career with the Golden Knights since the team entered the league. He spent six seasons as an assistant head coach and was the Henderson Silver Knights head coach for three seasons. Last season, he led the Silver Knights to the Calder Cup playoffs and got them to a third-place finish in the Pacific Division.
The endorsement carries some weight, too. Cassidy is the winningest head coach of all-time with the Golden Knights, posting a record of 178-99-43 (399 points). Those 178 wins are the most in franchise history, adding to his impressive resume.
Why Bruce Cassidy's endorsement of Ryan Craig matters for the Vegas Golden Knights
Whenever you get a vote of confidence from the best coach in your team's history, that's great news for your chances. You're getting a ringing endorsement from a coach who led his team to the promised land and made them contenders. In this case, it's Cassidy, who won the Stanley Cup for the Golden Knights in his first season.
Not only that, but you're getting a vote of confidence from someone who succeeded elsewhere. Cassidy came within one win of winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 with the Boston Bruins. This isn't his first rodeo, especially since he's spent plenty of time with Canada's Olympic squad. That vote of confidence carries extra weight with these achievements, giving Craig more motivation to start the season off right.
For Craig, that endorsement goes well when combined with his experience within the organization. He spent his entire coaching career with the Golden Knights, starting as an assistant head coach. He also had some success with the Silver Knights, as proven by last season's playoff run. Third place in the Pacific Division isn't bad at all, you know.
Add the league's best players to the Golden Knights and things should turn out perfectly fine for Craig. Yes, there will be some weaknesses to iron out. Practically every team has these issues. However, the former Silver Knights coach shouldn't have any issues transitioning to the NHL.
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