Let's make this clear. Bruce Cassidy has a Stanley Cup as a Vegas Golden Knights head coach, winning in 2023. Therefore, Cassidy is excused from this list. Have a good day, Bruce. Stay hydrated and hit the links.
That leaves us with two head coaches who could have the reviled moniker. There's Gerard Gallant, who lasted three (ish) seasons with the Golden Knights. Then there's Pete DeBoer, who led the team to two semifinal appearances before being ousted. Talk about your slim pickings, mate.
Still, it'll be a duel to the death to see who the worst head coach in franchise history is. Believe it or not, both have compelling cases! One was the personality that was as likable as John Wayne Gacy and choked away a 3-1 series lead to the San Jose Sharks. The other impaled Marc-Andre Fleury upon his sword and was responsible for the only postseason absence in franchise history.
So, who's the worst of them all? Who holds the mantle of not coming close to the standard that Bill Foley and company expect? Let's dissect this conundrum and see who wins (or loses, in this case) this battle of the worst head coaches in Golden Knights history. The loser gets the Fremont Street Toilet Award.
The case for Gerard Gallant
What if I told you that the Vegas Golden Knights once had a head coach who never changed his lineups? What if that head coach was as likable as finding out you had a terminal illness? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Gerard Gallant.
The inaugural head coach didn't make any adjustments in the Stanley Cup Final against the Washington Capitals. The result? Alex Ovechkin does Alex Ovechkin things and the Capitals come back from a 1-0 deficit to win their first Stanley Cup.
The next season? He has a 3-1 lead against the San Jose Sharks, only to blow that lead, too. Obviously, there's the "Minor That Wasn't" that screwed the Golden Knights on thousands of levels. However, Gallant had every opportunity to close out the series, only to blow each one like Keith Richards.
On top of that, he has the worst points percentage of the three Golden Knights head coaches (.601). Sure, that comes with more games coached than DeBoer (DeBoer coached in 160 games, while Gallant coaches in 213). However, the difference of .49 is too much to ignore. No wonder he's speaking Russian these days.
The case for Pete DeBoer
Fun fact: Pete DeBoer has the best points percentage of the three Golden Knights head coaches at .650. He's also coached the fewest games in franchise history, with two seasons shortened by COVID-19. Looking past that point percentage, you'll see more behind his three-year tenure.
For example, he's the only Golden Knights head coach not to lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final. Gallant did that in his first season, as did Bruce Cassidy. He's also the only head coach in franchise history to miss the postseason, doing so in 2021-22. Having the worst postseason win percentage of the three (.564) doesn't make matters easier.
That's not even mentioning how the former Sharks head coach famously took his sword out and impaled his goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury (at least, according to Fleury's agent, Allan Walsh). Ironically, he did the same thing to Jake Oettinger last postseason when he pulled his goaltender in an elimination game against the Edmonton Oilers last season.
The moral of the story? Pete DeBoer doesn't know how to win the big one. While the other two head coaches have had success getting to the Stanley Cup Final, DeBoer's legacy will always be him falling short.
The worst head coach in Golden Knights history is...
There's a compelling case to name Gerard Gallant as the worst head coach in franchise history. Aside from crashing out on his players like a supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park, he holds the worst points percentage in franchise history. One mustn't forget that he was also fired midseason, compared to DeBoer getting canned after his 2021-22 disaster.
However, the former Stars head coach will always hold that legacy as being the only head coach in Golden Knights history without a Stanley Cup Final. The same goes for the postseason miss.
Sure, getting two semifinal appearances is nice and all. But you'll be remembered for stabbing your goaltender in the back (and doing it again in Dallas) during your Vegas tenure. You'll also be remembered for mismanaging your lineups during the NHL postseason, which prevented you from getting that Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Therefore, Pete DeBoer shall get the Fremont Street Toilet Award for being the worst head coach in franchise history. Legacies are written by those who win trophies, whether it's in the Western Conference or the NHL. The fact that DeBoer doesn't have any during his Vegas tenure will always stick out like a sore thumb.