‘An honor to play for him’: Golden Knights not bringing back Tortorella

As quickly as it began, the John Tortorella era with the Vegas Golden Knights is over.

Tortorella will not return as coach of the Knights next season after getting them two wins away from a Stanley Cup championship, the team announced on Tuesday.

Tortorella, the 67-year-old from Boston, replaced Bruce Cassidy on March 29. Cassidy, who coached the Knights to their lone championship in 2023, was let go after less than four years on the job.

“We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement. “When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season.

“Torts’ experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final. We are grateful for Torts’ passion, sincerity and commitment to our organization, and we wish him and his family the best.”

McCrimmon will address the media on Wednesday.

‘Shot of adrenaline’

The Knights were in third place in the Pacific Division with eight games remaining at the time of the coaching change. They were four points from the playoff cutline.

Tortorella’s presence made an immediate impact. The Knights went 7-0-1 to end the regular season and clinched their fifth Pacific Division title in nine seasons.

“He came in and gave us a shot of adrenaline,” captain Mark Stone said. “Gave us energy and belief that we could get the season back to where we wanted it to be. I’ve got all the respect in the world for his professionalism and everything he did in his short time here.”

The Knights defeated the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks in six games, respectively, then completed a shocking four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.

The Knights led the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 through three games in the Stanley Cup Final, but the Hurricanes won three straight games to capture their second championship in franchise history on Sunday.

It was Tortorella’s second trip to the Cup Final. He won his only title with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.

“Just happy that I was able to work with him and build a little bit of a relationship,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “It sucks we couldn’t get it done for each other, but it is what it is.”

Tortorella was only hired for the remainder of the season. His contract expires June 30. He declined to answer Sunday if he would like to coach the Knights next season.

There was never any assurance Tortorella would be brought back, but the Knights’ improbable run put that theory into question.

“I just feel that’s a strong room,” Tortorella said after the 3-0 loss in Game 6 to Carolina. “I’m anxious to see what happens next year because it has another chance.”

Craig up next?

The expectation is the Knights will hire from within, promoting Henderson Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig to the NHL job at some point in the near future.

Craig, 44, has been with the organization since its inception and was an assistant coach through the eras of Cassidy, Gerard Gallant and Pete DeBoer.

He was named Silver Knights coach in June 2023 following the Knights’ Stanley Cup win.

Craig was a player for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, the junior team formerly owned and ran by McCrimmon.

Henderson reached the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second time in team history in 2026, anchored by a 17-3-3 run to close the regular season.

The Silver Knights swept the San Jose Barracuda in the first round, but lost in four games to the Colorado Eagles in the second round.

Stone said whoever the next coach is needs to be structured and has good energy, similar to Tortorella’s traits.

“He really brought belief in the locker room,” Stone said. “I think the next coach, we’ll have to work with, but the goal is to have the belief between the coaches, the management and the players all pulling on the same rope.”

Eventful tenure

Tortorella’s short tenure came with success on the ice, but was sprinkled with some controversy off of it.

He was fined $100,000 May 15 after failing to speak to the media following the Knights’ series victory over the Ducks.

The Knights were also docked a second-round pick in next week’s NHL Draft for repeated violations of the league’s media regulations, as a result.

The Knights appealed the ruling to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman prior to the conference final, but the decision was upheld.

Tortorella’s infamous media rants were few and far between with the Knights. The closest he came was doubling down on his decision to continue to play goaltender Carter Hart late in the Stanley Cup Final.

Hart played for Tortorella while he was coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2022-24.

“Guys have a lot of respect for him and just how he goes about his business,” Hart said. “I have a lot of respect for him, first and foremost, as a person, and as a coach. I wish him nothing but the best.”

Slim pickings

Should Tortorella look to coach next season, the options are limited. The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs hold the only vacancies outside of the Knights.

Edmonton is looking to hire longtime bench boss Mike Babcock, but the NHL has opened an investigation regarding Babcock’s sudden resignation as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023.

Babcock stepped down after less than three months in Columbus after requesting to view players’ personal photos.

Edmonton is one of the teams that has asked, and been denied, permission from the Knights to speak with Cassidy.

The Maple Leafs are in the “final stages” of naming a new coach, new GM John Chayka said Tuesday.

Tortorella was an analyst for ESPN at the time he was hired.

Tortorella was an assistant coach for Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Winter Olympics in Milan, which won the gold medal over Canada in February.

A coach for six teams in his career, Tortorella is ninth all-time with 777 career wins and is a two-time Jack Adams Award winner for coach of the year.

“It was an honor to play for him every day and I think all the guys in the room would agree,” said center Jack Eichel, who played for Tortorella on the U.S. team. “So happy to have had that experience. I’m a huge fan of Torts and everything he meant to our team and what he brought, what he meant to me. The experience I had with him was phenomenal.”