Well, Bruce Cassidy sure wasn’t out of work for very long.
According to a report from NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, the Vegas Golden Knights are set to hire Cassidy as the third head coach in franchise history, with Cassidy filling the role left vacant by Peter DeBoer’s firing in May.
Cassidy instantly rocketed to the top of the NHL’s coaching free agent candidates leaderboard after his surprise dismissal from the Boston Bruins last week, landing behind only Barry Trotz as the most coveted bench boss available.
The Golden Knights are likely not the only team that tried to bring him aboard, either. And why would they be? Cassidy’s resume speaks for itself, having led the Bruins to the postseason in each of his six seasons with the franchise, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015.
Not to mention, Cassidy’s 245-108-49 record in 399 regular-season games in Boston stands as among the most dominant stretches of any coach working today. The Golden Knights clearly covet that extensive track record of success, and made an effort to bring in an established and revered figure as coach to replace DeBoer after tension’s flared towards the end of his tenure.
DeBoer’s run-ins with his own players obviously played a big role in his dismissal following Vegas’ first-ever failed attempt to make the playoffs. His handling of Marc-Andre Fleury in the 2020 postseason prompted Fleury’s agent to post a photoshopped picture of a sword with DeBoer’s name on it impaling his client on his Twitter account, with Fleury then being unceremoniously shipped out of town a year later, weeks after winning the Vezina trophy. DeBoer also clashed with another goaltender in Robin Lehner this season, repeatedly denying reports that Lehner was injured, only for the netminder to undergo season-ending surgery almost immediately after.
Cassidy’s relationship with his players is also rumored to have precipitated his departure from Boston. But the reports seem to indicate the tensions being largely confined to the team’s young players. Vegas is a veteran roster. And after a disappointing season, the organization clearly feels its players need some motivation.
Hiring Cassidy accomplishes that. And the coaching market just got a lot thinner.
