Craig Leads Knights
Vegas Golden Knights Name Ryan Craig Head Coach, Replacing John Tortorella
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Key Points
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When John Tortorella was hired on March 29—after Bruce Cassidy was fired as Vegas spiraled—Vegas had lost six of its final seven games under Cassidy. Under Tortorella, the team then closed the regular season on a 7-0-1 run, won the Pacific Division, and swept the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.
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KTNV reported that Tortorella made “controversial moves” that cost Vegas a second-round draft pick and led to a “hefty fine” for violating the NHL’s media policy.
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TSN detailed Craig’s year-to-year improvement with Henderson: wins rose to 28 (2023-24), 29 (2024-25), and 39 (2025-26) during his three seasons behind the bench.
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On a June 10 episode of Sports Wrap Daily, Locked on VGK’s Chris Gawlik said McCrimmon and Craig’s relationship “go back a long long time,” adding that “McCrimmon hired Ryan Craig directly after Ryan Craig’s playing career ended… No coaching experience, no nothing,” and calling Craig “one of the consistencies through Gallant, through DeBoer, through Cassidy.”
The Vegas Golden Knights have named Ryan Craig as their fifth head coach, promoting him directly from the AHL's Henderson Silver Knights on June 17 Golden Knights. Craig, 44, replaces John Tortorella, whose 80-day tenure ended after leading Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final — where the Carolina Hurricanes won the title in six games.
Tortorella guided Vegas on a remarkable 7-0-1 closing run and a deep playoff push, but his tenure came with serious costs KTNV. The NHL fined the team $100,000 and stripped a 2026 second-round draft pick after Tortorella imposed a total media blackout during the second round, violating league policy.
Tortorella's 80-Day Sprint Ends at the Final
General Manager Kelly McCrimmon fired Bruce Cassidy on March 29 after Vegas dropped six of its final seven games under him Heavy. Tortorella stepped in immediately and turned things around fast. The team went 7-0-1 to close the regular season, won the Pacific Division, and swept the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
But the Stanley Cup Final proved a step too far. Carolina beat Vegas 4-2, clinching the Cup with a 3-0 shutout in Game 6 at T-Mobile Arena on June 14 TSN. Tortorella declined to discuss his future after the loss, and two days later, the team confirmed he would not return.
Craig Built His Case Season by Season in Henderson
Craig spent three seasons running Henderson before getting the call. His win totals rose every year: 28 wins in 2023-24, 29 in 2024-25, and a club-record 39 wins in 2025-26 TSN. That final season gave Henderson a .625 point percentage and a Calder Cup playoff berth.
Before coaching in the AHL, Craig spent six seasons as a Vegas assistant. He worked under head coaches Gerard Gallant, Peter DeBoer, and Bruce Cassidy. According to Locked On VGK's Chris Gawlik, Craig was "one of the consistencies" across all three regimes — a familiar face no matter who ran the bench Sports Wrap Daily.
McCrimmon and Craig Go Back Nearly 30 Years
The relationship between Craig and McCrimmon stretches back to the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, where McCrimmon drafted Craig as a teenager. Gawlik said McCrimmon hired Craig "directly after Ryan Craig's playing career ended… No coaching experience, no nothing" Sports Wrap Daily. That trust has grown ever since.
On June 17, McCrimmon said the organization was in search of "alignment" — and that he and Craig had it NHL.com. Craig served as a playing captain for nine different professional teams, a sign of the leadership reputation he has carried throughout his career.
Vegas Faces Draft and Free Agency Without a Second-Round Pick
The NHL denied Vegas's appeal of the Tortorella-era sanctions in May ESPN. That means the organization heads into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft without a second-round pick — limiting McCrimmon's ability to trade for veteran reinforcements before next season.
Craig's deep ties to Henderson give him an advantage in leaning on internal development to fill gaps. His first major tests will be the late-June draft and free agency starting July 1, where Vegas must make decisions on veterans who played under four different coaches in four years Heavy.
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