Ex-Vancouver Canucks coach Tortorella back in the NHL after surprise firing
Former Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella is back in the NHL, and he’s joining a division rival.
In a move that came out of nowhere on Sunday afternoon, the Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy with just eight games left in the regular season. At the same time, Vegas announced that Tortorella will come in as his replacement, marking a return to an NHL bench for the 67-year-old.
The legendary American coach last coached the Philadelphia Flyers last season, before being fired midway through the year.
“With John Tortorella, we bring in a Stanley Cup Champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the NHL,” The Golden Knights said in a press release.
“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.ā
The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach.
John Tortorella has been named head coach.#VegasBornhttps://t.co/TSTwVqXlbQ
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 29, 2026
The Golden Knights are still in a divisional playoff spot, but now sit three points behind the Edmonton Oilers and six back of the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks. They have struggled with a 3-5-2 record over their last 10 games, and lead the NHL in time spent trailing in games, finishing lower than the last-place Canucks in that stat.Ā
Cassidy had been coaching the Golden Knights since the 2022-23 season, winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup that same year.
Tortorella has built a reputation as being one of the toughest coaches in the sport, something Vancouver hockey fans should be familiar with.
The veteran coach had a brief one-season stint as Canucks head coach way back during the 2013-14 season. During that season, Torts made headlines for trying to fight then-Calgary Flames head coach Bob Hartley.
He also had an unusual living situation during that season, opting to sleep in his own office at Rogers Arena at times while he technically still lived in the United States at Point Roberts.
It’s quite the gamble for Vegas to fire the coach so late into the season, but they have gained a reputation for being among the most cutthroat organizations in the league. We’ll see if they can parlay this into a long Stanley Cup Playoff run.