Nobody expected the Vegas Golden Knights to make their third Stanley Cup Final this past season. That's especially true when you look at how the team relieved Bruce Cassidy of his head coaching duties and was stuck in playoff limbo in March. But one man saved the Golden Knights and brought them back to the promised land.
That would be John Tortorella, who closed the regular season with a 7-0-1 record and made the Golden Knights Western Conference champions. It seems that the coaching itch hasn't gone away, either. He told The Athletic of his intentions and stated what he hoped to do after coaching the Golden Knights.
"Oh, I want to coach. I want to coach now. I'm not sure if that happens and that's where I am at in my career."John Tortorella to The Athletic
After coming two games short of Vegas's second Stanley Cup, Tortorella was told that Ryan Craig would be replacing him as the Golden Knights' head coach. Talk about a cruel twist of fate.
Tortorella says that within 30 seconds of sitting down with McCrimmon and McPhee after the season that they told him Ryan Craig would be coaching the team moving forward. https://t.co/Opnl0TRBSw
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) July 24, 2026
Unfortunately for Tortorella, there are many reasons why the Golden Knights (and other teams) would move on from him. For one, he's notorious for having a hot temper, which wouldn't make any sense for the long term. Why relieve a head coach of his duties and keep a similar coach around? Does that make any sense?
There's also the media fiasco that cost the Golden Knights a second-round draft pick. Not speaking to the media after beating the Anaheim Ducks did some irreparable damage to the team's future, leaving them down a pick. Even George McPhee admitted that Tortorella had fault in the issue.
Besides, the NHL landscape has drastically changed from a decade ago. Now, you have a heavier emphasis on producing faster talent and redistributing scoring to other players. Tortorella must adapt to the modern NHL landscape if he wishes to stand a chance.
Otherwise, he should go back to being at the ESPN broadcasting desk. There was a time and a need for Tortorella to right the ship for the Golden Knights. That time passed and it's time to go all-in on Craig.
Add us as a preferred source on Google