The Vegas Golden Knights are fighting for a playoff spot in the weak Pacific Division. Even though this season is not up to their high standards, the move they made Sunday stunned the hockey world. The Golden Knights have fired Bruce Cassidy in favor of John Tortorella.

“The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach. John Tortorella has been named head coach,” the team's official social media account announced.

The Golden Knights lost 5-4 to the Washington Capitals in a shootout on Saturday night. That marked their sixth loss in their last seven games, pushing them to third in the Pacific Division. Even though that is still comfortably in a playoff spot, given the weak depth of the division, Vegas made a move.

Torotrella was most recently on the bench for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2022-25. In three seasons on Broad Street, the team did not reach the playoffs and never eclipsed 38 wins. His relationship with younger players was a point of contention among the Flyers and their fans.

The good news for the Golden Knights is that they do not have many younger players. They have routinely mortgaged the future for players in their prime, as proven by their effort to land Mitch Marner in the offseason. But this group has not pulled off the regular-season greatness expected in Vegas. Their .541 points percentage would be the worst in franchise history.

Tortorella won the 2004 Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning and had some successful seasons with the New York Rangers. If he can speak to this group, he could add an unexpected ring to his trophy case.

Cassidy won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, but it did not earn him a longer leash with the notoriously trigger-happy front office. He ends his run with a 178-99-43 record in the regular season and a 40-24-16 record in the playoffs.