Former Rangers coach lands Vegas gig in shocking late-season shakeup
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports He’s baaack! Former New York Rangers coach John Tortorella was hired Sunday by the Vegas Golden Knights with two weeks left in the regular season, after they fired Bruce Cassidy as coach. It’s simply a stunning turn of events.
Considered one of the preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup, the Golden Knights are third in the Pacific Division , three points behind the second-place Edmonton Oilers and four up on the Los Angeles Kings, who sit fourth in the division. However, they lost three in a row (0-1-2), six of seven (1-4-2), and are 4-10-2 since Feb. 27.
So concerned is general manager Kelly McCrimmon that he pulled the plug on the coach who led Vegas to its only Stanley Cup championship in 2023. Under Cassidy, the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his first three seasons before this one and finished first in the Pacific Division twice. He was 178-99-43 with the Golden Knights and is their all-time winningest coach .
But now, enter Torts. “With the stretch run of the 2025-26 regular season upon us, we believe that a change is necessary for us to return to the level of play that is expected of our club,” McCrimmon said in a statement released by the Golden Knights. “With John Tortorella, we bring in a Stanley Cup Champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the NHL.
His guidance will be a great asset to our team at the pivotal point in the season we currently face. We look forward to welcoming John to Vegas. ” The unsaid here is that McCrimmon believes the Golden Knights need a major kick in the rear end before this season devolves completely.
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