Overview
- The Golden Knights completed a sweep of the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday to advance to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final for the third time since 2017.
- Vegas replaced Bruce Cassidy with John Tortorella in late March and the team posted a rapid turnaround under him, going 19-4-1 through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.
- The NHL fined Tortorella $100,000 and stripped Vegas of a second‑round draft pick after finding the club violated postseason media protocols; those penalties were upheld on appeal.
- Vegas fired Cassidy and has blocked other teams from interviewing him while still owing roughly $4.5 million on his contract, a move that drew criticism from the NHL Coaches' Association.
- Longstanding grievances — aggressive roster churn, disputed long‑term injured reserve use, and the handling of players such as Marc‑André Fleury — have helped build the team's polarizing, 'villain' reputation even as it pursues another title.