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Bruce Cassidy was fired by the Golden Knights.

Former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy admits he was “caught off guard” after shockingly getting fired late in the season.

The Golden Knights fired Cassidy, their Stanley Cup-winning head coach, on March 29, with just eight games to go in the regular season, following a three-game losing skid. The Golden Knights replaced Cassidy with John Tortorella, who went on to coach the team to a 7-0-1 record after taking over as the team’s interim head coach. Currently, the team is playing the Utah Mammoth in the playoffs, with Utah leading the series 2-1 heading into Monday night’s pivotal Game 4.

When the news dropped that the Golden Knights had fired Cassidy, the entire NHL world was in shock. Not only is Cassidy one of the most widely respected head coaches in the league, but he also led the team to its only Stanley Cup championship in 2023. He also had the Golden Knights in a playoff position this season, as the team was in third place in the Pacific Division at the time of his firing. However, the team ended up winning their division after Tortorella took over, vindicating Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon’s surprising move to fire the man affectionately known as “Butch.”

Bruce Cassidy Was ‘Caught Off Guard’ After Being Fired

On Monday, Cassidy was a guest on Leafs Morning Take. He was asked what his emotions were when he first learned he was fired by Vegas, and he admits losing his job came as a shock.

“We didn’t have a great March, certainly, by our standards. We were not winning games, losing the close ones, finding different ways to lose as opposed to winning, something we had done very well over the years there. But still, you’re that far along (in the season), so yeah, that certainly caught me off guard. But I know that Vegas is certainly going to do what they have to do to win, and that’s what they felt they had to do,” Cassidy said.

Bruce Cassidy Will be the Top Coaching Target for Other Teams

Cassidy is currently awaiting potential job openings in the NHL, as all 32 teams have coaches in place at the moment. But he will be in high demand when teams begin to make coaching moves, and Cassidy will likely be the first coach called when a team is looking for a new head coach.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been the team most closely linked to Cassidy. Craig Berube is currently the team’s head coach, but the Maple Leafs are in the process of hiring a new GM, who could choose to fire Berube when they take over. If that happens, then you would have to think that Cassidy would be the first coach getting called for the job.

The Edmonton Oilers could also choose to move on from Kris Knoblauch if they fail to make a run in this year’s playoffs, and Cassidy would be a great hire for them given his knowledge of the Pacific Division. The same goes for the Los Angeles Kings, who could choose to move on from interim head coach DJ Smith after getting swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche.