The Vegas Golden Knights introduced John Tortorella as their new head coach Monday, just one day after firing Bruce Cassidy. With eight games remaining in the regular season, Tortorella faces an urgent task: steering a team that has lost six of its last seven back into playoff contention.
“In this business here, whether you are a player or a coach, I think you need to have the ability to accept the challenge,” Tortorella said at City National Arena. “I got (fired from the Philadelphia Flyers) with nine games left last year. Now, I come here with eight games left in a new job. There’s a couple of crazy situations I’ve never been involved in, but that’s the league. That’s the (NHL). That’s pro sports.”
The 67-year-old, a two-time Jack Adams Award winner, last coached the Flyers from 2022 until March 2025. He is signed only through the rest of the regular season and any potential playoff run, general manager Kelly McCrimmon confirmed. A strong finish could lead to an extension; failure could restart the search.
Tortorella said he will not overhaul the system. “We’re not going to make many changes,” he said. “I am not going to upset and fill the players with information. I have a few points of emphasis that we’ll go over as a team.” His primary focus is playing faster and establishing the right mindset.
McCrimmon explained the timing of the coaching change, noting the team’s 5-10-2 slide since the Olympic break. “As a manager, if you’re going to do your job well, you have to make hard decisions on good people,” McCrimmon said. “(Cassidy) was the exact right coach at the exact right time for our team, and he helped us become Stanley Cup champions. I enjoyed working with Bruce. We had a great relationship. I don’t think we had an argument or disagreement in four years.”
McCrimmon said he did not believe Cassidy lost the locker room, but the collective energy had dipped. “We waited as long as we could on this,” he said. “We see lots of positive signs in spurts in our game. But we just felt that we needed to bring a different person in to lead our team at this time.”
Tortorella, who has 770 career wins, texted Cassidy on his flight to Las Vegas to thank him for having the team ready. “Just remember,” Tortorella said. “The guy that left here is a pretty damn good coach. I feel very fortunate coming into this situation.”
The Knights host the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, sitting third in the Pacific Division. “To get an opportunity in this point of my career, to come here, are you kidding me?” Tortorella said. “I am trying to do the best that I can and I just want to help. That’s what I told the boys today. We’re going to do it together.”
