Amidst the controversial happenings of Bruce Cassidy's coaching desires, the Vegas Golden Knights faithful have heard some surprising confessions from the former head coach. No, it's not that he's giving away his dog because he's running out of money.
Instead, it's that he was too harsh on his own players. I know, that sounds like a harsh omission. But he talked about this on Spittin' Chiclets, lamenting how he should've taken a softer tone with the gang.
“I probably should’ve brought more joy into the locker room and a little more fun than saying, hey let’s tighten this up.”
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 31, 2026
Bruce Cassidy speaks on what he would’ve changed during his final stretch with Vegas. pic.twitter.com/26KR4DEu8A
Did you catch that? The "normally hard" (don't quote me on that) Bruce Cassidy lamented how he was too harsh on the boys. He needed to "bring more joy" to the locker room and be a fun guy. You know, grow on some people before being relieved of your duties.
"I probably should’ve brought more joy into the locker room and a little more fun than saying, hey let’s tighten this up."Bruce Cassidy on Spittin' Chiclets
That's a surprising confession from a head coach known for being too hard. Alas, it's a tad late to make such a statement about his Golden Knights' tenure. Vegas is already rolling into the Stanley Cup Final and is ready to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.
What would've happened if Bruce Cassidy lightened up a little bit with the Vegas Golden Knights?
Well, softening up a little bit does sound like a good thing. You want to ensure that your players don't turn on you and rally to fight for you. So, things would be better for the Golden Knights if he actually lightened up.
But, how much better would they be, you ask? Well, that's the thing. On the ice, the Golden Knights should do better and have the players respond to him. However, some glaring issues remain. How, you ask?
For one, there's the whole Adin Hill elephant in the room. The former Stanley Cup hero has a legacy of one good season, followed by a litany of lower-body injuries and average seasons surrounding the good one. That was apparent this season, where he had a GAA of 3.04 and a save percentage of .871.
The problems stem beyond Adin Hill being the "golden goalie," though
You know what happened when it came down to Hill and Logan Thompson. It wasn't going to be the current Washington Capitals netminder, considering that Cassidy was much higher on his Stanley Cup hero. Yes, he wanted out of town. However, this came with Cassidy going with Hill, which wouldn't have led to a Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Plus, you must consider the coaching styles of both head coaches. Cassidy has never been one to stack lines, opting to try for fits and similar styles. Compare that to John Tortorella, who's not afraid to put the best players on his top lines. How many times have you seen a combination of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and his playoff uprising, Ivan Barbashev, or Pavel Dorofeyev this postseason?
Overall, not much would've changed with the Golden Knights if Cassidy changed his style. Yes, he would've gotten them past the first round (maybe). Yes, he was still an incredible coach. But that would've been it for him this season, leaving the Golden Knights to fall short of their goal.
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