Why Bruce Cassidy Got Fired by Vegas Golden Knights Amid Late-Season Slide

On March 29, the Vegas Golden Knights relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties and named John Tortorella head coach with just eight games left.

Bruce built a long hockey life before this Vegas exit. The Ottawa native was a first-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1983. Per the NHL, he played defense and appeared in 36 NHL games with Chicago. He also spent time in the AHL, IHL, Italy, and Germany before moving into coaching. Now, folks want to know why Vegas let him go and what comes next.

Bruce got fired because the Vegas Golden Knights believed their play had dipped too far, too late in the season, per the NHL. The move came even though the Golden Knights were still sitting third in the Pacific Division, after a rough stretch in which they lost six of seven and went 3-5-2 over their previous 10 games.

“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,” General Manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement. “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.”

Bruce coached Washington in 2002-04, later rebuilding his standing in Providence. He took over the Boston Bruins during the 2016–17 season and led them to the playoffs every year he coached there. He then guided Boston to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final and won the Jack Adams Award in 2019–20 after the Bruins posted the league’s best record.

Bruce’s Vegas run started strong and ended abruptly. He arrived in June 2022, saying he was “excited to join an organization that shares my commitment to winning.” He then delivered the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in his first season. He finished with a 178-99-43 record in Vegas. His overall NHL head coaching record sits at 470-254-9-96 across Washington, Boston, and Vegas.

John is one of the NHL’s most experienced coaches and one of its most recognizable faces. Per the NHL, the Boston native has coached five NHL teams before Vegas — the Lightning, Rangers, Canucks, Blue Jackets, and Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, owns two Jack Adams Awards, and entered this hire with 770 wins in 1,620 NHL games, ranking among the winningest coaches in league history.

John had been out of the NHL since the Philadelphia Flyers fired him in March 2025, but he stayed active and helped the United States win Olympic gold in Milan this year as an assistant coach. And while John was always hoping to return to the NHL, he was excited when speaking about his Olympic role in September 2025.

“I’m going to tell you how I think. I’m going to tell you what I think of the player. No matter if it’s good or bad, I’m going to be honest with you,” he said. “I think that’s what I need to do and not get caught up in the name but just get caught up in how they’re playing. Yeah, so kind of a different role, but a really exciting role for me.”