Report: Vegas turned their back on John Tortorella

Yesterday, the Vegas Golden Knights announced the hiring of new head coach Ryan Craig following the abrupt dismissal of John Tortorella just a day earlier. Tortorella, of course, followed the abrupt dismissal of Stanley Cup winning coach Bruce Cassidy... abrupt dismissals are kind of the Golden Knights' thing, it seems.

To be fair, Tortorella was non-committal about his future plans with the team following Sunday's Stanley Cup Final loss and was up front and honest with reporters when he stated that he didn't know if he'd return to the team. Well, we now know that Tortorella did, in fact, want to return as head coach of the Golden Knights but he was rebuffed by the team

Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon confirmed as much yesterday saying, "John wanted to coach our team again but we wanted to give this opportunity to Ryan Craig."

To me, that's a pretty surprising admission.

On one hand you have a future Hall of Fame coach who just led your team to the Stanley Cup Final. On the other you have a rookie head coach with basically zero AHL success.

Add in the fact that you have a motivated Tortorella, armed and ready to get back to the Cup Final and this seems like a no-brainer decision to me. Then again... Vegas has always bucked the trend and it's brought them considerable success in their nine year NHL history. Who am I to argue?

Read below for yesterday's report on the hiring of Craig, originally published by Hockey Feed staff writer Chris Gosselin.

The Vegas Golden Knights wasted no time charting their path forward after a whirlwind spring that saw the franchise reach the Stanley Cup Final under extraordinary circumstances. On Wednesday, General Manager Kelly McCrimmon officially announced the hiring of Ryan Craig as the club's new head coach, making him the fifth bench boss in the organization's relatively young existence.

The announcement comes just days after the Golden Knights confirmed that John Tortorella would not return for the 2026-27 campaign. Tortorella's stint in Las Vegas lasted a mere 79 days, but it produced one of the most dramatic coaching runs in recent NHL memory. He was brought aboard on March 29 after Bruce Cassidy was let go as the team spiraled down the stretch, losing six of its final seven games under the previous regime.

Tortorella's arrival flipped the script almost immediately. The Golden Knights closed out the regular season on a scorching 7-0-1 run, locked up the Pacific Division crown, and then tore through the playoffs with wins over the Utah Mammoth and Edmonton Oilers before sweeping the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. The magical ride ended in six games against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final, but the turnaround was nothing short of remarkable.

McCrimmon praised Tortorella's contribution in a statement, noting that the veteran coach's experience and leadership provided the jolt the organization desperately needed at a pivotal moment. The 67-year-old Tortorella, who now owns 777 regular-season victories and has coached six different NHL franchises, reflected after the Game 6 loss that he felt "very fortunate" for the opportunity to work with the group.

Craig's hiring did not come as a surprise to those tracking the situation closely. NHL insiders had reported in the days leading up to the official announcement that Craig was the expected choice, citing his longstanding relationship with McCrimmon as a key factor seeing that he had been the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas’ AHL affiliate, since 2023. That existing rapport between the general manager and new head coach could help ensure a smooth transition as the Golden Knights prepare for their milestone 10th season in the league.

While the team came agonizingly close to capturing its second Stanley Cup this past spring, the foundation is clearly in place. Tortorella proved that the roster has the talent and resilience to compete at the highest level when properly motivated. The question now becomes whether Craig can sustain that energy over the course of a full season and push the franchise back into championship contention from the very start of the year, rather than relying on a late-season rescue act.

With the offseason now underway and a new voice set to lead the locker room, all attention in Las Vegas turns to what promises to be a pivotal chapter in Golden Knights history.