Are the Knights panicking in firing Cassidy?

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy seen during an NHL game against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. LAS VEGAS — When it comes to the Vegas Golden Knights, we should never be surprised by anything. Whether it’s splurging on high-ticket items for players, moving on from prospects or changing coaches, this organization is never afraid to pull the trigger.

And so it was Sunday when the team announced that it replaced Bruce Cassidy with John Tortorella as the head coach. It is the second time the Knights have made a coaching change in season during their nine-year history — Gerard Gallant was let go in early January and replaced by Pete DeBoer in 2020. DeBoer was terminated after the 2021-22 season and replaced by Cassidy, who went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2023 and was 178-99-43 in his nearly four seasons with Vegas.

Now he’s gone. In his place comes Tortorella, as old-school a personality and coach as you’ll find. Things are going to be very different around City National Arena in many respects, from the way the Knights play to the way the media is dealt with and a lot of things in between.

Of course, that’s the whole point. If George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon wanted to maintain the status quo, Cassidy would be preparing for the Vancouver Canucks Monday and trying to get this team across the finish line in its final eight games. But management didn’t see the point of maintaining what it believed was a three-alarm fire spreading throughout the building.