Bruce Cassidy wants to coach again, but the Vegas Golden Knights are standing in his way. The former Vegas bench boss, fired March 29 with one year left on his contract, revealed on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast Thursday that the team has not granted permission for him to interview with other NHL clubs.
“It’s upsetting. I’m going to be honest,” Cassidy said.
Two teams—the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, per reports—have requested to speak with Cassidy, but Vegas has denied those requests. General manager Kelly McCrimnon issued a prepared statement on May 19, saying the organization’s focus is on the Stanley Cup Playoffs and that “the teams have respected that. I’ve spoken with Bruce. He understands this, as well.”
Cassidy, who led the Knights to a Stanley Cup in 2023, is still being paid $4.5 million for the final year of his deal. But he said he’d rather be working. “At the end of the day, there’s the side of it where I’m getting paid a lot of money to do nothing, so that’s the good part,” he said. “I’d rather be working, to be honest.”
Even if Cassidy wanted to forfeit his remaining salary, he said a non-compete clause in his contract prevents him from interviewing without the team’s permission. “We keep asking if we can get on with my coaching career, but right now it’s a little bit in limbo,” Cassidy said. “Vegas is in a playoff series, I understood that, but I still think they can take some time and sort through it.”
The NHL Coaches’ Association released a statement supporting Cassidy, saying he should not be prevented from pursuing other opportunities. Cassidy said he may try to negotiate more favorable terms into his next contract.
“I’m not good enough to coach the Vegas Golden Knights, but I’m too good of a coach to coach a team that asks?” Cassidy said. “That’s the part that sort of bothers you.”
Meanwhile, the Knights have thrived under replacement John Tortorella, going 19-4-1 and reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in four years. Cassidy acknowledged the bittersweet nature of watching from home but reiterated his desire to move on. “I respected their busy focus on winning a Cup. I get that,” he said. “On the other hand, I think they’re a well-run organization. I think they can take the time to do a couple things at once.”
