LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights have decided not to retain John Tortorella as their head coach, despite the fact that he steered the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Final while serving in an interim role.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon broke the news Tuesday, confirming Tortorella’s departure from the organization.
“We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March,” McCrimmon said. “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 had brought Tortorella on board on March 30, the same day he let go of Bruce Cassidy with only eight games remaining in the regular season. The Golden Knights responded by winning seven of those eight games and then advanced through three playoff rounds before ultimately falling to Carolina in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.
