Former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy was fired in surprising fashion in March, making way for John Tortorella. At the time, people couldn't believe their eyes on what they were seeing with the Stanley Cup-winning head coach. However, Tortorella turned the tide and got the Golden Knights to a Pacific Division title.
An interesting quote from Cassidy popped up regarding his unceremonious exit. He mentioned how it was a disappointing end and how he would've loved to have seen the 2025-26 season through.
"You grind for 74 games and you want to be there at the end."Bruce Cassidy
Obviously, you want to see your work come entirely to fruition. You don't want to be left behind in any sense and you want to stick around until the end in anything you do. Unfortunately, life has other callings that come first, leaving you to never get that complete closure.
But, let's look at an alternate universe (aka the thing that gets most Marvel fans hard in their jimmies), shall we? What would've happened if Cassidy got his wish and stuck around for the long haul? What if he actually stuck around for those last eight games and saw his wish? Well...
The Vegas Golden Knights wouldn't have made it to the postseason
Let's be 100% honest here. The Golden Knights probably would've fallen out of playoff contention with Cassidy around. Tales of a lost locker room and the team not giving a full effort haunted the organization after Cassidy was fired. Yes, the Golden Knights were playing in a weak Pacific Division and the Ducks were sliding. Still, Vegas was sliding just as hard and would've completely checked out.
With tensions boiling over for around a year, it's easy to see why. Can you imagine when your boss or head coach screams bloody murder in your ear constantly? How would you feel? Would you succumb to the temptation of walking out on your job and never come back?
That's the feeling that Golden Knights players felt throughout the 2025-26 season. Sure, the move wasn't the most ideal and was a massive gamble. However, Kelly McCrimmon is well-versed in making those gambles work. He knows how his locker room functions and will do whatever it takes to get them back on track.
If the Golden Knights did make the playoffs, the Utah Mammoth series would've looked vastly different
No, this isn't based on the Mammoth's losses in Games 4 and 5. This also stems from the Golden Knights responding to adversity in those games. Vegas managed to tie the game in both instances and pull out overtime victories, eventually finishing the Mammoth in six games.
The reason? You can say that Tortorella had the experience edge in that series. But it was also how the team responded to the new head coach. They didn't tune out Tortorella (mainly because he stepped back and let his veteran team figure things out. Utah would've won in five and Cassidy would've been axed.
Again, this isn't a knock on Cassidy, for he won a Stanley Cup in Vegas. But hockey is a business and short tempers have a shelf life. That could certainly be the case for Tortorella, who's known for throwing F-bombs around with impudity. But you're seeing a group inching closer to the Western Conference Final and carrying some swagger. You can't say that about the old guard.
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