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John Tortorella Says He Wants to Coach Again After Brief Vegas Stint

Vegas promoted Ryan Craig, leaving Tortorella to await another opening despite his late-season run to the Stanley Cup Final.

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Jun 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights John Tortorella during the post game press conference after the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Overview

  • Tortorella was hired on March 29 to replace Bruce Cassidy with eight regular-season games left and guided the Golden Knights to a 7-0-1 finish that clinched the Pacific Division.
  • He then coached Vegas through the playoffs to the Stanley Cup Final, where the team lost in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • The NHL fined Tortorella $100,000 and docked the Golden Knights a second-round draft pick after he skipped a postgame media session during the playoffs.
  • General manager Kelly McCrimmon told Tortorella he would not return and promoted AHL coach Ryan Craig to lead the NHL club next season, a meeting Tortorella called honest but disappointing.
  • Tortorella, who has 777 NHL wins and a 2003-04 Stanley Cup, remains a high-profile but polarizing candidate and must wait for future vacancies because the off-season coaching market has been filled.