Former Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy wants to find another job in the NHL, but he might not be able to until the end of 2026–27 season and he’s not happy about it.
As Vegas heads to the Stanley Cup Final against either the Hurricanes or Canadiens, the Golden Knights are still blocking other teams from inquiring about Cassidy, which they can do while he remains under contract. The stance continues to cause conflict, and remains a top NHL storyline as the league’s postseason approaches its conclusion.
“It’s upsetting. I’m going to be honest. … In this case, there were two teams that asked [to interview me],” Cassidy said on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. “That’s public knowledge now, and I would like to talk to them. I want to go to work. I’m a hockey coach.”
The Oilers and Kings, both division rivals of the Golden Knights, sought to interview Cassidy, who led Vegas to the 2023 Stanley Cup title.
Vegas fired Cassidy on March 29, replacing him with John Tortorella, and under Tortorella, the team has gone on a 19–4–1 tear that has it near its second title in four seasons. Cassidy is still owed $4.5 million for the remaining year on his contract, and that agreement includes a standard NHL clause prohibiting even fired coaches from interviewing elsewhere without permission.
“At the end of the day, there’s the side of it where I”m getting paid a lot of money to do nothing, so that’s the good part,” Cassidy said. “I’d rather be working, to be honest. That’s where it’s landed, and hopefully it gets resolved soon.”
Competing Comments
The particulars around Cassidy’s situation have already sparked outcry from the NHL Coaches’ Association.
“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,” that group said earlier this month.
Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said the team is solely concentrating on its postseason run.
“We’ve been consistent that our focus is currently on the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the teams have respected that,” McCrimmon said before the Western Conference Final against the Avalanche. “I’ve spoken with Bruce. He understands this as well.”
After Cassidy’s podcast appearance, McCrimmon appeared Thursday on TSN’s OverDrive show in Canada and held firm to the team’s position.
“I don’t have any more to say on it at this time. It’s only news because Edmonton leaked it,” McCrimmon said. “So this isn’t something that came out of our organization. We’ve been forced to respond to it, which we did. … I know he wants to coach. He’s a hell of a coach and he’s anxious to get going. Coaches, by definition, aren’t real patient people, so I understand what he wants and why wants it. At the same time, I work for the Vegas Golden Knights, so my responsibilities are, first and foremost, to the organization.”
