NHL coaching changes tracker: Canucks fire Adam Foote, Maple Leafs dismiss Craig Berube after disappointing seasons
NHL coaching changes tracker: Canucks fire Adam Foote, Maple Leafs dismiss Craig Berube after disappointing seasons originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The NHL offseason is always full of drama, and it usually begins with the coaching carousel.
During the year, many teams made coaching changes as they tried to spark their clubs for a playoff push, with some finding more success than others. After the regular season ended, teams then made final decisions on coaches who were in charge during disappointing campaigns. Typically, teams that fire head coaches are facing high expectations or undergoing regime changes, as they seek a new voice in the locker room moving forward.
In recent years, it has seemed like no head coach is truly safe as long as teams feel there is a better option on the market. Here's a look at the coaching changes so far in 2026. NHL PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NHL scores | NHL playoff schedule | NHL playoff bracket 2026 NHL head coaching changes Team Fired Coach Replacement Blue Jackets Dean Evason Rick Bowness Los Angeles Kings Jim Hiller Vegas Golden Knights Bruce Cassidy John Tortorella New York Islanders Patrick Roy Pete DeBoer Toronto Maple Leafs Craig Berube Edmonton Oilers Kris Knoblauch Vancouver Canucks Adam Foote MORE : Ranking the best candidates to replace Craig Berube NHL Hired Coaches 2026 Rick Bowness, Blue Jackets Veteran coach Rick Bowness took over for the Blue Jackets in the middle of January, leading Columbus to a 21-11-5 record in the final 37 games.
However, the Blue Jackets failed to make the playoffs in the final week of the regular season despite playing better under Bowness. After the final game of the season Bowness heavily criticized the team's effort while making the case that he would change the culture if he got the chance to come back. It seemed like that speech worked, as Columbus hired Bowness full-time for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
The Blue Jackets mark the eighth team for whom Bowness has been a head coach. John Tortorella, Golden Knights Just weeks before the playoffs, the Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy, who led the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023, as Vegas was sputtering down the stretch. In Cassidy's place, Vegas hired veteran coach John Tortorella in hopes that he would spark the team.