Golden Knights make major coaching shakeup as Stanley Cup Playoffs near

The Vegas Golden Knights lone person 8 games remaining successful the 2025-26 season, but decided to marque the stunning determination to occurrence and regenerate their caput coach.

Vegas announced connected Sunday that they relieved Bruce Cassidy arsenic caput manager and replaced him with John Tortorella.

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Vegas Golden Knights caput manager Bruce Cassidy looks connected during the 3rd play of an NHL hockey crippled against the Buffalo Sabres, March 3, 2026, successful Buffalo, New York. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)

"We convey Bruce Cassidy for his dedication to our hockey nine and assemblage implicit the past 4 seasons," Golden Knights wide manager Kelly McCrimmon said successful a quality release. "Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our eventual extremity successful 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas. Bruce volition everlastingly beryllium remembered with the utmost respect by our enactment for what was accomplished here. With the agelong tally of the 2025-26 regular play upon us, we judge that a alteration is indispensable for america to instrumentality to the level of play that is expected of our club.

"With John Tortorella, we bring successful a Stanley Cup Champion arsenic good arsenic 1 of the astir experienced and respected coaches successful the NHL. His guidance volition beryllium a large plus to our squad astatine the pivotal constituent successful the play we presently face. We look guardant to welcoming John to Vegas."

John Tortorella, Philadelphia Flyers caput coach, arrives for a quality league astatine the NHL hockey team's arena connected May 12, 2023, successful Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

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The Golden Knights fell to the Washington Capitals, 5-4, connected Saturday successful a shootout. It marked the team’s 3rd consecutive nonaccomplishment and sixth decision successful their past 7 games.

Vegas is 32-26-16 this play and successful 3rd spot successful the Pacific Division. If the play ended Sunday, the squad would beryllium successful the playoffs and person a bid against the Edmonton Oilers successful the archetypal round.

Tortorella was not coaching successful the NHL this season. He spent clip arsenic an adjunct for Team USA astatine the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. The Americans took location the golden medal.

Washington Capitals players observe arsenic Vegas Golden Knights close helping Pavel Dorofeyev (16) skates disconnected the crystal aft failing to people during a shootout successful an NHL hockey crippled Saturday, March 28, 2026, successful Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

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He is 770-648-37 arsenic caput coach. He won a Stanley Cup rubric with the Tampa Bay Lightning successful 2004.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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