Golden Knights’ Tortorella “was what our group needed” during playoff run, players say
After falling short in the Stanley Cup Final with a Game 6 loss on Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights held their locker cleanout day and end-of-season media availabilities on Tuesday.
It came at an apt time, as just prior to the start of the availability, the team announced that John Tortorella would not return as head coach next season.
Despite being at the helm for just eight regular season games and the Stanley Cup Playoff run, which featured series victories over the Utah Mammoth, Anaheim Ducks and Colorado Avalanche, Tortorella made a clear impact on the group in Vegas.
“Torts was awesome,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I think he was really what our group needed at the end to kind of push us into playoffs… A lot of credit to him. He was a fantastic coach. Obviously, he’s been around for a long time, and it was fun to be able to meet him and be a part of him.”
When Tortorella took over for Bruce Cassidy, the Golden Knights’ season was teetering. At 32-26-16, Vegas was six points back of the Pacific Division lead and just four points above the playoff cut line.
A 7-0-1 run to close out the regular season earned the Golden Knights the top seed out of the Pacific, and sparked a run that nearly ended in the franchise’s second Stanley Cup victory.
For Theodore’s fellow blueliner Noah Hanifin, who got to know Tortorella earlier in the year as they were both a part of Team USA’s gold medal win at the Winter Olympics, the job Tortorella did to change the energy around the team was crucial.
“It’s a tough situation for a coach to come in with that little time left,” Hanifin said. “Just the way he was able to kind of get us back on the right track fast and give us a chance was pretty impressive. So nothing but respect for Torts. Going through the (U.S.) Olympic process with him, just getting to know him over the year was awesome.”
Now, the Golden Knights will head into the 2026-27 campaign with another fresh voice behind the bench.