While the Vegas Golden Knights battle on the ice in this year’s Western Conference Finals, the club is also dealing with some off-the-ice matters of its own creation.
Firstly, the team’s one-sided tussle with the NHL’s media policies left them without a 2026 second-round draft pick and their head coach, John Tortorella, lighter in the pocket. While that matter was largely settled after a failed appeal, a second situation involving their former bench boss, Bruce Cassidy, continues to fester this spring.
Cassidy was fired in late March, replaced by Tortorella as the club sought a new voice to lead them into this year’s postseason. Since then, the team has continued to refuse other teams permission to speak with Cassidy as he seeks his next job. While technically legal, as Cassidy is still under contract with the team for one more year, the practice doesn’t have much precedent, despite how general manager Kelly McCrimmon recently framed it.
“We’ve been consistent that our focus currently is on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the teams have respected that,” McCrimmon said Tuesday. “I’ve spoken with Bruce; he understands this as well.”
At least four teams are expected to want to at least interview Cassidy to fill their head-coaching vacancies: the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers. The problem for three of those teams is that they are all in the Pacific Division, which Vegas is also part of, likely giving the Golden Knights reason not to rush to let them talk to their former coach.
While the team’s stance may be somewhat understandable from that perspective, the NHL Coaches’ Association has not taken kindly to the stop sign Vegas has put up for Cassidy. The organization also released a statement on the matter on Tuesday:
The NHLCA has been closely monitoring the situation involving Bruce Cassidy. While we respect the league’s rules and processes, it is our position that coaches who remain under contract, but are no longer working for their club, should not be prevented from pursuing other employment opportunities.
It would be unprecedented at the head coaching level should multiple teams be denied permission to speak with Coach Cassidy. The situation is still unfolding, but our priority is to protect the interests of our members in this type of circumstance.
Cassidy is seeking his fourth head-coaching position in the NHL after previously commanding the Golden Knights, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins. He won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023 and won the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year with the Bruins in 2020.
