Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said Vegas needed an immediate impact when it hired John Tortorella in late March. Tortorella will not return to the coaching staff in 2026-27.
Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella is leaving the team after just over two months.
Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy on March 30 and led the team to the Stanley Cup final, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.
"We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March," Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said in an announcement Tuesday.
"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."
Tortorella, 67, told reporters after Game 6 of the final on Sunday that he had to swallow the loss a bit when asked about his future. Before the final, however, he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman he and McCrimmon agreed he would coach Vegas until the end of June.
When McCrimmon made the bold decision to fire Cassidy with eight games left in the regular season, Vegas was third in the Pacific Division and 4-4-2 in its previous 10 games. Although they were six points ahead of the first team outside of a playoff position in the West, the Golden Knights were at risk of missing the post-season.
Tortorella came in to spark the squad, but he said he was more of a guidance counselor who removed obstacles and helped the players activate themselves.
Under Tortorella, Vegas went 7-0-1 to finish the regular season and take the top seed in the Pacific.
In the first round, Vegas took a 1-0 series lead before the Utah Mammoth won Games 2 and 3. The Golden Knights took charge after that, winning three straight to advance to the second round.
Vegas and the Anaheim Ducks traded wins through the first four games before the Golden Knights pulled through in Games 5 and 6.
Tortorella and the Golden Knights were in hot water after the Round 2 win, when the coach declined to speak to media and did not open the dressing room to reporters post-game. The NHL fined Tortorella $100,000 and forced Vegas to forfeit a second-round pick in this month's draft.
The biggest surprise, however, came in the Western Conference final, when the Golden Knights swept the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
"Thrilled to be along for the ride with them," Tortorella told reporters after the sweep. "I consider the first three rounds to be playoffs. The last round, that's when we play for the Stanley Cup. We have an opportunity to play for the Stanley Cup."
Vegas had the series lead on two occasions in the Cup final before the Hurricanes ultimately won the round 4-2.
With 21 wins between the regular season and playoffs, Tortorella passed Darryl Sutter for 10th place all-time in most wins, including playoffs, by a coach, with 847.
McCrimmon did not name a new coach in Tuesday's announcement.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.