The Vegas Golden Knights announced Sunday that they have relieved head coach Bruce Cassidy of his duties and named John Tortorella his successor.
The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 29, 2026
John Tortorella has been named head coach.#VegasBornhttps://t.co/TSTwVqXlbQ
The decision comes as Vegas struggles with a league-worst offensive output since the Olympic break, averaging just 2.31 goals per game and posting a -13 goal differential over that span.
“We thank Bruce Cassidy for his dedication to our hockey club and community over the past four seasons,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “Under Bruce’s leadership, we reached our ultimate goal in 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas. Bruce will forever be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was accomplished here. 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. 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.”
John Tortorella joins the Golden Knights following a year away from NHL coaching. He was previously the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, where he was relieved of his duties exactly one year ago today, on March 27, 2025. Tortorella is the first American-born coach to reach 500 wins and currently ranks sixth all-time in NHL games coached (1,620) and ninth in wins (770).
Tortorella was already scheduled to serve as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics alongside Mike Sullivan and John Hynes. His hiring in Vegas marks his sixth NHL head coaching role, adding the Golden Knights to a list that includes the Rangers, Lightning, Canucks, Blue Jackets, and Flyers.