The Edmonton Oilers enter the offseason facing mounting pressure after another disappointing playoff exit renewed questions about the team’s direction behind the bench. As speculation around a coaching change is growing, Bruce Cassidy’s name has surfaced as one of the strongest candidates linked to Edmonton.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when one insider revealed that the Vegas Golden Knights denied the Oilers permission to speak with their former Stanley Cup-winning coach.
The development immediately drew strong reactions across the NHL world, with many questioning why Vegas would block a division rival from interviewing a coach they had already dismissed.
Bruce Cassidy Situation Sparks Backlash As Golden Knights Block Oilers’ Request
On Tuesday morning, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that the Oilers requested permission to interview Bruce Cassidy in lieu of a potential coaching change. According to Seravalli, Vegas denied that request despite Cassidy no longer coaching the team after being fired in March.
Seravalli shared on X, “League sources say Oilers have sought permission to interview Bruce Cassidy as they contemplate significant coaching staff changes. To this point, sources say the Golden Knights have withheld permission from a division rival. Gamesmanship? Perhaps. Mostly unprecedented for the role.”
League sources say #Oilers have sought permission to interview Bruce Cassidy as they contemplate significant coaching staff changes.
To this point, sources say @GoldenKnights have withheld permission from division rival.
Gamesmanship? Perhaps. Mostly unprecedented for role.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 12, 2026
The report immediately triggered criticism across the hockey community, even if Cassidy still has only one year remaining on his contract with Vegas.
Sens Talk reacted strongly on X and wrote, “Can always count on Vegas to be a classy stand-up organization!” The post showed frustration from fans who viewed the move as unnecessary interference rather than standard business practice.
NHL reporter Rachel Kryshak also criticized the decision and argued that Vegas should not control Cassidy’s future after firing him.
She wrote, “This shouldn’t be allowed. It’s one thing if the person is still employed by the organization. You fired him, deemed him not good enough. You don’t get to decide who employs him next. Cassidy should be able to walk away from VGK contract so they have no say.”
The criticism continued from several league observers who questioned the logic behind withholding permission from Edmonton. NHL insider Mat Smith posted, “They fired him. Why do they have any say?” while World Hockey Report added, “It’s baffling in the NHL where you can fire a guy and then WITHHOLD them from getting another job?”
The reaction gained even more traction because Cassidy recently made it clear that he wants to return behind an NHL bench as soon as possible.
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During an appearance on the Cam and Strick Podcast earlier this month, Cassidy said, “I’m a hockey coach, and I’m not getting any younger.” He added that after sitting out this postseason, he has “a desire to get back in.”
Cassidy guided Vegas to the Stanley Cup in 2023 and posted a 178-99-43 regular-season record during nearly four seasons with the franchise. Across coaching stops with Washington, Boston, and Vegas, Cassidy owns a career NHL record of 470-254-96 and has reached the playoffs consistently throughout his career.
If the Oilers do end up hiring Cassidy, Vegas would likely owe just the difference from his $4.5 million Golden Knights salary under standard NHL offset rules and not the full amount, per Forbes analyst Eric Macramalla.
