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Tortorella Out as VGK Coach, Craig In

The decision didn't take long or maybe it never was a decision. Thirty-six hours after the Vegas Golden Knights were eliminated on their home nice, John Tortorella was told his services are no longer needed.

Tortorella, who took over for the fired Bruce Cassidy on March 29th and propelled this team all the way to the Finals was notified his short tenure is over and the Knights will look for a new head coach for next season.

General Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement: "We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March. 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's deal with the Golden Knights was only through June 30, the end of the league calendar. He went 21-8-1 with Vegas including playoffs after taking over with eight games remaining in the regular season. He led the Knights to a 7-0-1 record before the playoffs began. His success rate dipped a bit with a 14-8 mark during the postseason but included winning the Western Conference Championship and leading the Knights to the Stanley Cup Finals.

He gained respect among veteran Golden Knights players, often likening himself to a guidance counselor who needed to instill confidence in the group.

It didn't take the Knights long to find Tortorella's successor. Wednesday they officially announced Rayn Craig is the new head coach. Craig is the fifth head coach in a franchise that has only been around for nine years. That is a rather large number considering the success of the team appearing in three Cup Finals and winning one in 2023.

Craig has a longstanding relationship with McCrimmon, dating back to Craig's junior hockey playing days as captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, a team McCrimmon ran. Craig, who is 44 and will be a first-time NHL head coach. He played for three teams over his eight seasons in the NHL. His playing career ended in 2017, with Craig transitioning into coaching months later.

Vegas hired Craig as an assistant coach in 2017, and he remained in that role until 2023, when he was named the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights in the AHL. Craig guided the Silver Knights to the Calder Cup playoffs this season, and they advanced to the Pacific Division semifinals before losing in three games.

He becomes the first homegrown coach the Golden Knights have produced to take over the team. But he's also the third head coach they've had since late March and the fifth since their inaugural 2017-18 season.