The Vegas Golden Knights turned more than a few heads and raised double the number of eyebrows on Tuesday, June 16, as they announced a parting of ways with head coach John Tortorella.
Tortorella took charge of Vegas at the end of March with the franchise in free fall and under threat of missing the 2026 NHL Playoffs. What followed was a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes, but even a trip to the Stanley Cup Final wasn’t enough to convince the Golden Knights to extend Tortorella’s reign behind the bench in Sin City.
How The NHL World Reacted To The Golden Knights Letting John Tortorella Walk
Mere days after the Golden Knights fell short of adding a Stanley Cup to their trophy cabinet, the franchise announced that Tortorella will not return to the team’s coaching staff next season.
“When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon wrote in a statement.
“Torts’ experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final. We are grateful for Torts’ passion, sincerity, and commitment to our organization, and we wish him and his family the best.”
The news spread like wildfire, especially considering the fact that Vegas has now added to a free agent head coach pool that was in dire need of some more weight.
“I hope Tortorella embraces a short-term fixer because [he] absolutely was that in Vegas,” wrote The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman. “He got a good group to play like a team which bought them time. Annnnd this (again) is why I think VGK kept Cassidy in limbo, so the coaching market stayed unsettled for them.”
“Not entirely surprising. Does this change anything for the Oilers and their Babcock plan? Could get that hard-nosed coach without the baggage,” noted Daily Faceoff’s Tyler Yaremchuk.
Wow. Shouldn’t surprise me but it still did. https://t.co/wjK5dJGJGL
— James Nichols (@JamesNicholsNHL) June 16, 2026
“The former CBJ coach is available again, but it was fun while it lasted in Vegas,” said Jeff Svoboda. “Seriously, I quite enjoyed seeing him back on the bench. The game is certainly more interesting with him in it.”
Why Vegas Let John Tortorella Go
As for the question of why the Golden Knights decided against moving forward with Tortorella as head coach, it appears they held the opinion that they caught lightning in a bottle with the interim hire.
By his own admission, Tortorella tweaked precious few things in the Vegas system that Bruce Cassidy left behind, instead using motivation as a primary driver in the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The exit comes at a convenient time, since Tortorella was essentially coaching on the last legs of his Philadelphia Flyers contract.
So, what comes next for Vegas?
Certainly a return for Cassidy is out the window. It remains to be seen if they let the 2023 Cup-winning coach interview with the Edmonton Oilers, but when it comes to their own head coaching hire, speculation indicates they could look inward.
Ryan Craig, head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights, could land a big promotion. Craig, of course, has been with the organization since Day 1 and is more than familiar with working with McCrimmon.
He also served as an assistant coach with the Golden Knights under three separate coaches (Gerard Gallant, Pete DeBoer, and Cassidy), leading many to believe it may be the right time for a call-up to the big leagues.
