LAS VEGAS − There's a new leader of "The Realm" on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Vegas Golden Knights announced the firing of coach Bruce Cassidy March 29, replacing their 2023 Stanley Cup-winning skipper with head coaching veteran John Tortorella.
"Bruce will forever be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was accomplished here," Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a news release.
The dismissal comes with eight games left in the regular season for the Golden Knights, who sit in third in the Pacific Division. Vegas has lost six of its last seven games and only won five games since the league returned from the Olympic break.
The Golden Knights are on track to hit their lowest points percentage in the team's nine-year history. They have only missed the playoffs once, in the 2021-22 season, leading to the ouster of then head coach Peter DeBoer and Cassidy's installation.
"With the stretch run of the 2025-26 regular season upon us, we believe that a change is necessary for us to return to the level of play that is expected of our club," McCrimmon said.
His last NHL tenure ended abruptly, having been fired in 2025 by the Philadelphia Flyers with nine games left in the season. However, the team was already out of the playoff picture by the time he was relieved of his post on Broad Street.
Tortorella's debut could come on March 30, when the Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks at T-Mobile Arena.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Golden Knights for further comment and to Tortorella through his Tortorella Family Foundation.
In a stunning decision late in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights have parted ways with head coach Bruce Cassidy, despite the team holding a playoff position with just nine games remaining.
The move has sent shockwaves across the NHL, as Cassidy had been widely viewed as a steady and successful presence behind the bench. Vegas quickly named veteran bench boss John Tortorella as his replacement, signaling an immediate shift in direction as the team prepares for the postseason.
Cassidy’s résumé speaks for itself. He led the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup championship in his first season with the club and compiled a strong 178-99-43 record during his tenure in Vegas. Prior to that, he enjoyed a highly successful run with the Boston Bruins, where he posted a 245-108-46 record and guided the team to the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, ultimately falling to the St. Louis Blues.
He also earned the Jack Adams Award in the 2019–20 season and has been involved internationally, serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada at events such as the 4 Nations Face-Off and the recent Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina.
The Vegas Golden Knights have relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach.
The unexpected firing could have ripple effects across the league, including for the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg is currently navigating its second season under head coach Scott Arniel, but has struggled to stay in the playoff picture and remains on the outside looking in.
With the Jets facing an uncertain offseason, Cassidy’s sudden availability could present an intriguing option. Known for his structured systems and ability to elevate teams into contenders, he represents a proven winner with a track record of postseason success.
While no immediate changes are expected in Winnipeg, the timing of Cassidy’s dismissal opens the door for speculation. If the Jets decide a reset is necessary, bringing in an experienced coach with championship pedigree could be a path worth exploring as they look to return to playoff contention next season.
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The Montreal Canadiens are expecting Jacob Fowler to be a long-term part of their future. There is no question that the 21-year-old goaltender has a ton of potential, and he has undoubtedly shown that during this season.
Fowler has played in his first 14 NHL games this season with the Canadiens, where he has a 7-5-2 record, a .903 save percentage, a 2.59 goals-against average, and one shutout. He also just had an excellent most recent appearance against the Nashville Predators, as he stopped 23 out of 24 shots he faced.
Down in the AHL with the Laval Rocket this campaign, Fowler has also impressed. In 27 games on the year with the AHL club, the 2023 third-round has a 19-7-1 record, a .916 save percentage, a 2.23 goals-against average, and three shutouts.
Now, Fowler has made it clear that he is feeling right at home in Quebec.
As posted by The Hockey News' Karine Hains, Fowler has switched the Florida license plate from the back of his mask to a Quebec license plate.
This is a cool gesture by Fowler and certainly shows that he is enjoying his time with the Canadiens organization. The Habs are lucky to have him, and it will be a blast to see how he continues to develop his game from here.
Former Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella has shockingly landed a new NHL head coaching gig with the 2025-26 season just about over.
The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that they have fired Bruce Cassidy as their head coach and hired Tortorella as his replacement.
Seeing Tortorella back as an NHL head coach is not surprising. The 67-year-old has had a long coaching career and won a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, the timing of him landing this job with the Golden Knights is undoubtedly surprising, as Vegas has only eight games left this season.
Now, the Golden Knights will be hoping that hiring Tortorella will provide them with a boost. It has been an underwhelming regular season for the Golden Knights, as they have a 32-26-16 record and 80. They have also lost each of their last three games and seven out of their last 10 games. However, with the Pacific Division being the NHL's weakest division this season, the Golden Knights are in third and should still make the playoffs.
It will now be very interesting to see how much of an impact Tortorella can make behind the bench for the Golden Knights from here.
It has been quite the season for the Buffalo Sabres. At the time of this writing, they have a 45-21-6 record and are at the top of the Atlantic Division standings with 98 points. With this, they have taken a massive step in the right direction and should make the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Clearly, the Sabres' great 2025-26 season has gotten their fans' attention in a major way.
According to Pete Guelli, the Sabres have now had 14 straight sellouts. In addition, Guelli shared on X that they are the top team in local TV ratings this campaign.
Given how significant of a step forward that the Sabres have taken this season, it is entirely understandable that fans are very invested in the team right now. They have been one of the NHL's best stories in 2025-26, and fans have waited a long time for them to hit that next level.
It will now be fascinating to see how the Sabres finish off the season, but it is clear that the fans are happy right now.
Bruce Cassidy, who led the Vegas Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, was fired Sunday.
The move was announced by general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who also confirmed that veteran NHL coach John Tortorella will take over behind the bench for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
Cassidy Fired
Cassidy departs after four seasons with the Golden Knights, highlighted by the franchise’s championship run in 2023. Despite that success, the organization elected to make a change as it looks to regain consistency down the stretch of the current campaign.
Bruce Cassidu got the raw end of this deal. Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie
“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 forever be remembered with the utmost regard by our organization for what was accomplished here.”
McCrimmon added that the timing of the decision was driven by the team’s current performance and the need to reset expectations as the regular season enters its final phase.
“With the stretch run of the 2025-26 regular season upon us, we believe that a change is necessary for us to return to the level of play that is expected of our club,” McCrimmon said.
Tortorella Takes Over Behind the Bench
The Golden Knights are turning to Tortorella, one of the most experienced coaches in NHL history, to provide a new voice and direction. McCrimmon pointed to Tortorella’s résumé as a major factor in the decision.
“With John Tortorella, we bring in a Stanley Cup Champion as well as one of the most experienced and respected coaches in the NHL,” McCrimmon said. “His guidance will be a great asset to our team at the pivotal point in the season we currently face. We look forward to welcoming John to Vegas.”
Tortorella arrives with 23 seasons of NHL head coaching experience, most recently with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2022 to 2025. His previous stop included a six-year tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he helped guide the franchise to its first-ever second-round playoff appearance in 2019 and earned the Jack Adams Award following the 2016-17 season.
Over his career, Tortorella has coached 1,620 NHL games—ranking sixth all-time—and has compiled 770 wins. His résumé also includes stints with the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2004.
The coaching change marks a significant pivot for the Golden Knights as they look to stabilize their play and push toward another deep postseason run under new leadership.
Ahead of their matchup on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks, the Vegas Golden Knights have made a coaching change. Vegas announced on Sunday that it had fired Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella. The Golden Knights have been in a tailspin recently, with only three wins and eight points in their last 10 games.
Tortorella's first action behind the bench will be against the Canucks, which he coached in 2013-14. That season went off the rails for Vancouver, as they finished with a 36-35-11 and missed the playoffs. Tortorella was fired at the end of the season and replaced by Willie Desjardins.
Since leaving the Canucks, Tortorella has coached the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Jack Adams Award in 2017 and has made the playoffs four times since leaving Vancouver. Tortorella has also been heavily involved with Team USA and was an Assistant Coach on their 2026 Gold Medal Olympic team.
Apr 13, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella signals from the bench during the third period against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Sykora broke a scoreless tie early in the third period and Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Sunday.
Sykora, a rookie who was a second-round pick in 2022, scored his second goal of the season at 5:10, tipping Adam Fox's shot past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
Conor Sheary then scored his fifth of the season — on a short-handed breakaway — at 11:14 before Fox added an empty-netter at 16:06.
Sykora also scored in the Rangers' 6-1 win against Chicago on Friday. The Rangers are just 11-18-7 at home this season.
Florida's Mackie Samoskevich scored with 40.2 seconds left to end Shesterkin's shutout bid.
New York nearly scored late in the second when Mika Zibanejad’s shot with 1:35 left skittered along the goal line before Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling cleared it out.
Florida appeared to take the lead at 3:22 of the third when Matthew Tkachuk scored on a breakaway, but the Rangers challenged and the play was ruled offside.
Florida was coming off a 5-2 loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday in which Tkachuk scored both goals.
The Florida Panthers are slowly but surely nearing the finish line to a forgettable season.
Playing their second road game in as many afternoons, Florida matched up with the New York Rangers for a fun little Sunday matinee in Manhattan.
Offense came at a premium at Madison Square Garden, with the Cats and Rangers carrying a scoreless game into the third period until the two teams finally squeaked a few goals in.
Ultimately the Rangers picked up a rare win on home ice, defeating the Panthers 3-1.
It wasn’t until about five minutes had passed in the third period that we finally saw the game’s first goal.
Rangers defenseman Adam Fox picked up the puck at the Florida blue line and walked a few feet toward the net before firing a wrist shot that was deflected by Adam Sykora on his way past Sergei Bobrovsky.
The goal was Sykora’s second of the season, and his second in his past three games.
Connor Sheary made it 2-0 Rangers with a shorthanded tally at the 11:14 mark, then Fox sealed the win with an empty-net goal that came with 3:54 to go in the game.
Youngster Mackie Samoskevich ruined Igor Shesterkin’s shutout bid with 41 seconds to go, but overall, it was a good day for the home team, and a step in the right direction in terms of the Panthers pushing to keep their top-10 protected lottery pick in this summer’s draft.
Photo caption: Mar 29, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) and New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) battle for the puck during the second period at Madison Square Garden. (Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images)
Tomorrow, in a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane is projected to skate in his 1000th-career NHL game. Surprisingly, he’ll be just the ninth player in franchise history to hit this milestone as part of the Canucks, as only eight others have done so before him. Here are the eight players who played in their 1000th NHL game as a member of the Canucks.
Pit Martin
Martin was the first to play in his 1000th-career NHL game as a member of the Canucks, achieving this milestone on January 1, 1978 against the team he played over 10 seasons for, the Chicago Blackhawks. Through an 1101-game NHL career, Martin scored 324 goals and 485 assists. His final 131 NHL games were spent with Vancouver.
Ryan Walter
Walter was only a Canucks for two seasons — 92 games — as the majority of his time in the NHL came with the Montréal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals, who drafted him back in 1978. His 1000th NHL game came towards the tail-end of his NHL career, as he ultimately finished his career with 1003 games played in the league, scoring 264 goals and 382 assists during this span.
Dave Babych
The second player to hit their 1000th-career NHL game as a Canuck was Babych, who spent a total of 409 games with Vancouver through his 1195-game career. Babych played in his 1000th NHL game on February 7, 1996, also against a team he’d formerly played for in the Hartford Whalers. Babych’s NHL résumé also includes 142 goals and 581 assists with Vancouver, Hartford, the Winnipeg Jets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings.
Trevor Linden
Linden became the third player to hit their 1000th NHL game-mark with the Canucks on March 26, 2002, when Vancouver took on the Los Angeles Kings. While the former Canucks captain did split some of his career with the New York Islanders, Montréal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals, he ultimately returned to his hometown team to skate in his 1000th NHL game. Later, in 2005–06, he became the first player to ever play in 1000 games for solely the Canucks.
Markus Näslund
Näslund, the fourth player to hit 1000 career NHL games with the Canucks, did-so in what would ultimately be his final season with the team he captained for seven years. He hit the 1000th-game mark on January 17, 2008 in a game against the Detroit Red Wings, during which he scored the game-tying goal. While most of these 1000 games were spent with Vancouver, Näslund did play in 151 of them with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Apr 5, 2018; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Henrik Sedin (33) and forward Daniel Sedin (22) skate down ice during the second period against the Arizona Coyotes at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images
Henrik Sedin
The third Canucks captain in a row to hit 1000 games as a member of the Canucks (though Linden was not technically captain at the time), Henrik Sedin achieved his milestone on March 12, 2014 against the Winnipeg Jets. With this, he also became the second player to play in 1000 games with Vancouver, wrapping up his NHL career with a grand total of 1330 NHL games — all, of course, with the Canucks. The eight-year captain remains the franchise leader in games played (1330), assists (830), and points (1070).
Daniel Sedin
256 days after his brother accomplished the same feat, on November 23, 2014, Daniel Sedin played in his 1000th NHL game, making him the sixth player in franchise history to achieve this milestone. Just like Henrik, he, too, became one of only three players to skate in 1000 games with the Canucks, with his career concluding with a total of 1306 games. His 393 career goals-scored remains the franchise’s record.
Tyler Myers
The most recent Canuck to skate in their 1000th NHL game was none-other than Tyler Myers, who achieved this milestone on October 19, 2024. While Myers was recently traded to the Dallas Stars, his time in Vancouver spanned 488 games of his 17-year and counting NHL career, ranking him 31st all-time in Canucks history in games played with the team. During that stretch of time, Myers scored 26 goals and 112 assists for Vancouver.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The Florida Panthers will wrap up a quick two-game road trip when they make a Sunday stop at The World’s Most Famous Arena.
A rough season that still has a light at the end of a tunnel is quickly wrapping up for the Cats, and that includes Sunday’s stop at Madison Square Garden when they’ll face the equally-disappointing New York Rangers.
Entering play Sunday, the Panthers and Rangers find themselves sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
New York holds the third-worst record in the NHL, tied with the Chicago Blackhawks with 67 points but holding more wins, while the Panthers have dropped to six-worst, tied in points with the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks.
This is all relevant for Florida because their 2026 first round pick at the NHL Draft is top-10 protected.
That means even though the Panthers sent that pick to Chicago in last season’s Trade Deadline deal for Seth Jones, Florida gets to keep the selection if it ends up in the top 10.
There are 10 games remaining on the Cats’ schedule, only four of which will be on home ice.
Unless Sam Bennett is ready to slot back into the lineup, Florida will likely send out the same lineup utilized Saturday on Long Island.
The only expected change is in goal, where Sergei Bobrovsky should be in net after Daniil Tarasov got the nod against the Islanders.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Sunday’s party at the Garden:
Carter Verhaeghe – Eetu Luostarinen – Matthew Tkachuk
Photo caption: Apr 14, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) moves the puck as New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) defends during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The Detroit Red Wings have reassigned defenseman Anton Johansson to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, bringing the young blueliner back to North America following his stint with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League.
Johansson, 21, was selected by Detroit in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft and has been steadily developing in Sweden. This past season with Leksands IF, the six-foot-four defenseman recorded five goals and 12 assists for 17 points across 42 games, showcasing flashes of his two-way potential.
The move marks Johansson’s second stint with Grand Rapids. At the end of last season, he joined the Griffins and made an immediate impact, tallying five points and a plus-one rating in 11 regular-season games. He also appeared in three playoff contests, registering one assist, though he finished with a minus-three rating.
Detroit likely views Johansson as a long-term project on the blue line. With his size and defensive instincts, he profiles as a potential depth defenseman at the NHL level. However, his development has been gradual, and the organization appears committed to giving him time to adjust to the North American game and refine his consistency.
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The Boston Bruins picked up a 6-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Former Buffalo Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt played a role in the Bruins' victory over the Wild, as he recorded three assists in the contest.
This was just the latest strong game for Mittelstadt, as he has been red-hot for the Bruins as of late. Over his last six games, the former Sabres forward has recorded seven points and a plus-3 rating. This included him scoring a goal against the Sabres on March 25. With this, there is no question that he has been playing some solid hockey for the Bruins down the stretch.
With his ongoing hot streak, Mittelstadt now has 14 goals, 26 assists, 40 points, and a plus-12 rating in 63 games this season. Overall, the former Sabres forward has been having a solid season with the Bruins and has become a key part of their top six in the process.
Mittelstadt was selected by the Sabres with the seventh-overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. In 339 games over seven seasons with Buffalo, he recorded 62 goals, 124 assists, and 186 points.
At the beginning of his tenure in Philadelphia, there was word that the Flyers would be John Tortorella’s last head coaching job.
But the 67-year-old clearly still has it in him.
He was hired Sunday by the Golden Knights as the team’s new bench boss after Bruce Cassidy was fired in his fourth season leading Vegas.
Cassidy won a Stanley Cup in 2022-23, his first season with the Golden Knights. The news comes as a real surprise considering the timing and the fact that Vegas was on the verge of making the playoffs for a fourth straight season under Cassidy.
But the Golden Knights, in third place at 32-26-16, have also benefited from playing in the Pacific Division, which is by far the NHL’s weakest this season.
Tortorella was fired by the Flyers at almost exactly this time last year. He was in his third season with the club, which had nine games left. Now, Tortorella takes over a Vegas team that has eight games left and is poised for the playoffs.
The veteran head coach did impressive work in getting the Flyers to be significantly more competitive and respected as the organization embraced a rebuild. But in Year 3, things had stalled and the rebuild went into another gear.
Tortorella goes to the Golden Knights with tons of experience and looking for his first Stanley Cup title since 2004, when he won with the Lightning.
