Golden Knights Fire Cassidy, Hire Tortorella

The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday and named veteran coach John Tortorella as his replacement, in a surprising late-season shake-up with eight games left in the regular season.

The move came a day after the Golden Knights lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Washington Capitals, extending their losing streak to three games and marking their sixth defeat in the past seven outings. Las Vegas holds third place in the Pacific Division with a record of 32-26-16 and 80 points, positioning the team for a playoff spot despite a sharp decline in form since March, when it posted a 4-9-2 mark. The team, which led the division as recently as February 28, now faces pressure from clubs like the Edmonton Oilers, Utah Hockey Club and Nashville Predators, all vying for postseason berths.

General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced the decision, citing the need for a leadership change to elevate the team's performance heading into the stretch run. "We thank Bruce Cassidy for his dedication to our hockey club and community over the past four seasons," McCrimmon said. "Under Bruce's leadership, we reached our ultimate goal in 2023 by bringing a Stanley Cup to Vegas. Bruce will...