On Wednesday, June 17, Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon confirmed hiring Ryan Craig as their new head coach. During a press conference on the same day, the 65-year-old explained why they parted ways with John Tortorella.

SinBin took to their official X to share McCrimmon’s thoughts on replacing Tortorella despite the now-former coach wanting to continue.

“John [Tortorella] wanted to coach our team again but we wanted to give this opportunity to Ryan Craig,” McCrimmon said, per their X post.

“I know he was disappointed because he did want to coach our team. But I know also he’s got a lot of regard for Ryan and a lot of respect for the organization," McCrimmon told reporters.

The Golden Knights GM also explained that Tortorella wants to continue coaching NHL teams and that he had reached out to every team and let them know the same.

The GM also mentioned that Vegas losing the Stanley Cup final wasn't the reason behind hiring a new coach. "When we hired John on March 29, we agreed we would talk at the end of the season. (The playoff run) didn’t really impact anything in any real significant way,"

The Golden Knights GM also pointed out that Craig had previously worked under Tortorella as a player. “Interestingly, he had Ryan Craig as a player [with the Tampa Bay Lightning].” McCrimmon said.

Ryan Craig also comes with coaching experience. He was the Golden Knights' assistant coach for six seasons before managing their AHL affiliate, Henderson Silver Knights.

John Tortorella set the bar high for Ryan Craig

Tortorella’s tenure as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights barely lasted over two-and-a-half months, but it was quite impactful.

He joined the struggling Golden Knights after the firing of their previous head coach, Bruce Cassidy, who had won only three of his last 10 games with them.

From March 29 of this year till June 14, Tortorella elevated Vegas, starting with a 7-0-1 record in the last eight regular-season games in 2025-26. They beat the Edmonton Oilers to clinch the Pacific Division title on the last day of the regular season.

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 67-year-old guided them to 4-2 wins over the Utah Mammoth and the Anaheim Ducks in the first two rounds. They followed it up by sweeping the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.

But despite making a decent start in the Stanley Cup Final earlier this month, they went on to lose the series 4-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Will John Tortorella get the chance to be the head coach of a new franchise next season? Give us your prediction in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi