Cassidy Surprised by Golden Knights Firing, Eyes Return

Former Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy expressed surprise Tuesday at his late-season firing but signaled his readiness to return to an NHL bench.

Cassidy shared his thoughts while appearing as a studio analyst on TNT's NHL playoff coverage. "You grind for 74 games and you want to be there at the end," he said. "That's the payoff, playing for the Stanley Cup, getting your name on the Cup again. But Vegas, they have their standards. They felt we weren't there, so they made a change. Great guys in that locker room. Great players. I'm excited for the guys, but disappointed I didn't get a chance to finish the job with them."

The Golden Knights dismissed Cassidy on March 29, with eight regular-season games remaining. At the time, the team was clinging to a playoff position in third place in the Pacific Division after dropping six of seven games. Cassidy, the franchise's longest-tenured coach since his hiring in June 2022, had compiled a 178-99-43 record over three-plus seasons. He guided Vegas to its lone Stanley Cup title in 2023.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon explained the move at a news conference as necessary to provide a spark. "If we didn't have the expectations and...