Sunday wasn't meant to be a day of shock for many Vegas Golden Knights fans. However, an absolute bombshell shook Las Vegas—and the NHL—to its core as Bruce Cassidy was relieved of his head coaching duties.
The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 29, 2026
John Tortorella has been named head coach.#VegasBornhttps://t.co/TSTwVqXlbQ
This comes off the heels of a 5-4 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday. However, that doesn't mean that the Golden Knights didn't get plenty of mileage from Cassidy as a head coach. He remains the only head coach in franchise history to win a Stanley Cup (2023).
In comes John Tortorella, who also has a Stanley Cup to his resume (2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning). Overall, Tortorella has a head coaching record of 770-648-37-165, with 12 Stanley Cup appearances accompanying him. His last coaching appearance was with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he spent three seasons with the team before his last season in 2024-25.
As for Cassidy? He has a career record of 470-254-9-96 as a head coach with 10 playoff appearances. His Golden Knights record is 178-99-43, making him arguably the most successful head coach in franchise history. That includes two Pacific Division titles and 399 points, bringing up a points percentage of .623.
Of course, this isn't the first time that Cassidy has been canned during his NHL coaching career. He was also let go by the Boston Bruins after the 2021-22 season, eventually coming to Vegas to win a Stanley Cup a season later. But now? He's replaced by a head coach who's also a Jack Adams award winner (twice).
Will it be the right move? Personally, I think it's bad in the long term. Yes, Cassidy might not have the most pleasant personality. But scapegoating him for players not fitting into his system isn't the best look. If anything, it falls on the general manager (McCrimmon, in this case) to adapt and adhere to his system.
Now? You bring in a head coach who's struggled to adapt to the modern NHL landscape. Not only that, but you have a head coach who's far more nuclear than Cassidy ever was. The message might be what some fans want in the short-term. However, it'll stunt the long-term prospects further, leaving the Golden Knights to struggle in the modern landscape.