Why did Golden Knights fire Bruce Cassidy? Vegas moves on from coach after losing stretch threatens 2026 playoffs

The Vegas Golden Knights stunned the hockey world on Sunday by firing head coach Bruce Cassidy and replacing him with John Tortorella.

Cassidy led the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023, the first in franchise history. Since then, Vegas made the playoffs each season with Cassidy at the helm and are on pace to do so again this year.

However, the Golden Knights decided Cassidy wasn't doing the job necessary for the team to make a serious playoff run. Instead, Vegas is hiring Tortorella, as the Golden Knights will be the sixth team that Tortarella has led.

Here's why Vegas made this decision.

Why did Golden Knights fire Bruce Cassidy?

Despite being in the playoff picture with 80 points, the Golden Knights opted to fire head coach Bruce Cassidy just a few weeks away from the playoffs. Vegas announced it hired veteran coach John Tortarella in Cassidy's place.

"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," Golden Knights 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."

This story will be updated