Ladies and gentlemen, we're heading into the somber time of hockey season. The season's over and the Vegas Golden Knights don't have a Stanley Cup. We'll get more on that later. But it's not as depressing as you'd think it'd be.
Like, think about it for a second. Three months ago, there was ongoing talk about whether this team was heading to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team had more losses than wins, a first in team history. Not only that, but Bruce Cassidy was relieved of his duties with eight games left in the regular season.
With that, I'm not as mad as many people should be. Look at where this team should've headed with the Golden Knights in limbo. Suddenly, John Tortorella comes in and leads the team to being two games shy of another Stanley Cup. Mitch Marner was unleashed on top of that, leaving hockey fans in awe.
With that concludes a roller coaster week within the Golden Knights' realm. Some stuff was good within the Las Vegas kingdom. Some stuff was bad without having the proper hardware. Let's dive into both worlds and see what happened within the Golden Knights' realm.
The Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games
Yes, this was the tough news for Golden Knights fans everywhere. Vegas tried everything they could to stop the eventual Conn Smythe winner, Jordan Staal. They tried to figure out Brandon Bussi and his aggressive style. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be as the Golden Knights ultimately fell two games shy of winning their second Stanley Cup.
Still, this isn't as bad as fans would like to think. Remember, this team was in literal limbo regarding the team's direction in March. Therefore, it's a miracle that the Golden Knights made it this far. But did John Tortorella make it out alive? Well...
John Tortorella doesn't return as the Golden Knights head coach
Despite leading the Golden Knights to a 7-0-1 regular season finish and another Pacific Division title, that wasn't good enough to bring back John Tortorella for another Vegas go-round. The team ultimately decided to go in a different direction with the two-time Jack Adams winner, opting for more youth.
Who was the new head coach, you ask? Well, he just led the Henderson Silver Knights on a record-breaking run this past season. That included a third-place Pacific Division finish and a second-round bout with the Colorado Eagles.
Ryan Craig steps in as the new Vegas Golden Knights head coach
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ryan Craig as the newest Vegas Golden Knights head coach! The former assistant coach has been molded by the first three Golden Knights head coaches, making two Stanley Cup Finals in the process.
On top of that, he won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach in 2023. His organizational familiarity stood out with general manager Kelly McCrimmon, making him the obvious choice all along. That alone should bring excitement to the Golden Knights' realm, leading the team towards an exciting era.
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