Stanley Cup Hurricanes Golden Knights Hockey

Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, right, talks to a referee during the third period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Las Vegas.

 John Locher - AP

John Tortorella will not return as coach of the Vegas Golden Knights after guiding them to the Stanley Cup Final on an interim basis.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon announced Tuesday that Tortorella would not be back.

“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 hired Tortorella on March 30 when he fired Bruce Cassidy with eight games left in the season. The Golden Knights won seven of them and then got through three rounds before losing to Carolina in six games in the final.

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