Vegas Golden Knights Fire Head Coach Bruce Cassidy With 8 Games Left

Veteran coach John Tortorella brought in to replace Cassidy as team struggles late in season

Mar. 29, 2026 at 9:05pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Vegas Golden Knights have fired head coach Bruce Cassidy with just 8 games remaining in the regular season, despite Cassidy leading the team to a Stanley Cup title in his first season and a 178-99-43 record overall. The team is currently in a slump, having won just once in its last 7 games and 3 times in its last 9. The Golden Knights front office decided a coaching change was needed, bringing in veteran bench boss John Tortorella to try and get the team back on track before the playoffs.

Why it matters

The Golden Knights are known for making bold, emotion-free decisions to try and maintain their high standards of success. Cassidy had an impressive tenure in Vegas, but the team's recent struggles were enough for management to make a late-season coaching change in an effort to spark the team heading into the playoffs.

The details

Bruce Cassidy had a very successful run as head coach of the Golden Knights, leading the team to a Stanley Cup title in his first season and compiling a 178-99-43 record overall. However, the team has struggled of late, winning just once in its last 7 games and 3 times in its last 9. With the playoffs approaching, the Golden Knights front office decided a coaching change was needed, firing Cassidy and bringing in veteran coach John Tortorella to try and get the team back on track.

  • The Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy on March 29, 2026 with 8 games remaining in the regular season.
  • Cassidy had been the Golden Knights' head coach since the start of the 2021-22 season.

The players

Bruce Cassidy

Former head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights who led the team to a Stanley Cup title in his first season and compiled a 178-99-43 record overall.

John Tortorella

Veteran NHL head coach who has been hired to replace Bruce Cassidy as the new head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas Golden Knights

NHL franchise based in Las Vegas, Nevada that is known for making bold, emotion-free decisions in pursuit of sustained success.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“They make hard decisions. They remove emotion to make those decisions. They accept finishing first and nothing else. Cassidy won the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas. He'll forever be a coaching legend there. But it hasn't been working and there's still time to get right. Enter Torts.”

— Dan Rosen, NHL.com reporter

What’s next

The Golden Knights will look to John Tortorella to quickly turn the team around and get them back on track for the playoffs with just 8 games remaining in the regular season.

The takeaway

The Golden Knights' decision to fire a successful head coach like Bruce Cassidy with just 8 games left in the season shows the team's relentless pursuit of excellence and willingness to make tough, emotion-free decisions in order to maintain their high standards of success.