The Vegas Golden Knights have officially named Bruce Cassidy as the third head coach in franchise history. GM Kelly McCrimmon released the following statement about his new bench boss:
The Golden Knights are very pleased to have Bruce come in to coach our team. His success in Boston over six years is extremely impressive. His teams have had a clear identity, having been among the very best in the NHL in terms of goals for, goals against, goal differential and special teams. This is the right coach for our team at this time.
Vegas’ head coaching vacancy opened up when the team fired Peter DeBoer on May 16 after they missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Cassidy met a similar fate last week, despite his Bruins taking the Metropolitan Division champion Carolina Hurricanes to seven games in their First Round series.
Cassidy had an incredibly successful five-and-a-half-season stretch in Boston, and he’ll look to bring that consistency to the Golden Knights. The 57-year-old Ottawa native brings an Eastern Conference title in 2019 under his belt as well as a consistent regular-season track record. The worst points percentage a Bruins team had under Cassidy was .652, a mark they hit in 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22. That’s a 107-point pace over a full 82-game season. It was an unexpected firing, to say the least, and the Golden Knights hope they’ve capitalized on another team’s seemingly poor decision.
The veteran of 509 games as an NHL coach instantly became one of the elite names on the coaching market this offseason alongside DeBoer and former New York Islanders bench boss Barry Trotz. Cassidy had multiple suitors, but the Golden Knights were the first to focus on Cassidy as their top candidate. He’s got a history of managing a top line that’s terrorized opponents, something the Golden Knights hope they can replicate with a trio of Max Pacioretty, Jack Eichel, and Mark Stone. With arguably a better supporting forward cast in Vegas than Cassidy had in Boston, at least on the wings, the Knights hope Cassidy can help guide a healthy team back to elite status.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was the first to report that Vegas would be hiring Cassidy.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
jdgoat
Rare Golden Knights 2022 W
Al Hirschen
Good move
tree2436
Phenomenal hire. Butch got a raw deal here in Boston. Happy to see him land with a good coaching gig
mattc68
Yet to be seen whether this is a good gig or not. We’ll see what the roster looks like once they’re cap compliant. Oh, and that owner is noted for his patience.
doghockey
Not many patient owners in sports. Comes with the coaching territory.
bostonbob
Keep telling yourself that. He never won a Stanley Cup. Him and Rask belong together. Sweeney actually should have been fired himself and Cam Neely right behind him.
Nha Trang
You know something, bostonbob? That’s bull$hit. Strange though it may be to some, it is entirely possible to have a winning season without a Cup ring on your finger. Only six men have coached Cup-winning teams in the last decade. Are you staying that every coach, every GM, every player who fails to get a ring is a loser and a bum? There are a zillion teams that wish they had Tuukka Rask in their net for the last decade, and I’m glad he wore the black-and-gold for an amazing career.
And if your only criterion for success is winning the Cup, well … with only one Cup win in the last half century, you must not be any kind of Bruins fan. Go root for Tampa Bay instead, at least until someone else wins the Cup.
Karlander
At this rate, the Wings will be resigning Blashill
VonDooche
Its one coach lol. I think Stevie has proven with the 3 time in a row final reaching lightning that he knows what hes doing.
Bucky76
God help him hope he lasts more than 2 seasons…Great coach but !!!!!
DarkSide830
Better than DeBoer, not better than Gallant.
doghockey
Would love to hear about your rating system.
kscheer
Can’t wait for him to be back on the market in a year and a half.
Gbear
Like it. Good hire for Vegas.
Johnny Z
If they stuck with Gallant, they would have done better than under DeBoer……..but when in Vegas……
Doak37
…Do as the vegans do?
theodore glass
Their record under Gallant was getting worse every year.
Bucky76
So first year stanley cup final then what so his record at the time of his firing they lost what 5 straight…Wow Deboer was brought in because of his ass kisser friend McCrimmon…So Gallants firing was not because of performance or lost his team…Why is Reeves back with him in New York…players coach that is what Gallant is…
ChadO
Now all Vegas needs to do is trade for Jack Debrusk Cassidy would love that,
NSco1996
Jake*
bostonbob
Lol, Jake wouldn’t report if that happened.
tradepartner
Are Wings waiting for end of playoffs before hiring a new coach?
Could it be a TB assistant?
buffalobob88
Eichel will have Cassidy fired in 2 seasons
mike gondek
Ring around the rosie in the NHL coaching ranks. Failed and fired coaches remain eligible for re-employment until they’re in assisted living. But, since the entire ineffective team can’t be fired, the coach has to go. It must be hard to find a leader that can teach the invaluable NHL skills of cross-checking from behind, interference, slew-footing and high-sticking so there are always spots for experienced failures.
DirtbagBlues
Probably the best hire VGK could’ve made. Cassidy’s strength is his dynamic offense, something DeBoer was very rigid about. His PP success is also as a plus.
Will be interesting to see how this impacts their blue line. DeBoer was all about blocking shots, and Vegas could very well trade one of their top blockers (Martinez or McNabb) to get under the cap.
fljay73
Interesting to see the dynamic between Cassidy & (Baby) Jack this upcoming season.