Tortorella might not stay in Vegas for very long.
Many people were surprised to hear that the well-known and sometimes controversial NHL coach John Tortorella was back coaching a team that had a chance to make the playoffs. On Sunday, the Golden Knights shocked everyone by firing their head coach, Bruce Cassidy, who had led them to win the Stanley Cup, with just a few regular-season games left.
This news caught many fans off guard, but what the Golden Knights did not share was how long Tortorella’s contract would last. There might be a good reason for that.
Similar to Bowness and @BlueJacketsNHL, Torts is hired until the end of the season. https://t.co/LgQrQJXUE2
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 29, 2026
NHL insider Darren Dreger has just shared an unexpected detail about the Golden Knights hiring Tortorella. He said that Tortorella’s new contract only applies to the rest of the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This information was confirmed by experienced NHL reporter John Shannon. He reported that Tortorella’s contract includes just 8 games of the regular season and the playoffs. Shannon mentioned that any decisions about what happens with Tortorella after this season will be made after the playoffs conclude.
John Tortorella’s deal with #VGK is for the 8 remaining games of the regular season and the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Any decision on seasons beyond will be made at the end of the season.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) March 29, 2026
This is a risky situation for Tortorella. He is joining a team that has been struggling since the Olympic break and is now in danger of not making it to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings are only 4 points behind the Golden Knights, and the Seattle Kraken are 5 points behind as well, with both teams having played fewer games than the Golden Knights. If the Golden Knights keep performing poorly, Tortorella’s time coaching there could be very short and not very good.
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