Report: Golden Knights hire Bruce Cassidy as next head coach

The Las Vegas Golden Knights have hired Bruce Cassidy as their next head coach, per Darren Dreger. The Golden Knights fired head coach Pete DeBoer after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in franchise history. DeBoer had been brought in to replace Gerard Gallant after he was fired during the 2019-20 season. Cassidy was let go by the Boston Bruins in a surprising offseason move. It didn’t take long for him to find new work.

Cassidy will be the third coach in Vegas franchise history. He started his head coaching career with the Washington Capitals back in 2002-03, which lasted one and a half seasons. Cassidy took over for Claude Julien during the 2016-17 NHL season and helped guide the Bruins to the playoffs. Cassidy would then help Boston advance to at least the second round in four straight seasons, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, when the Bruins lost in seven games to the St. Louis Blues.

Cassidy is a great fit for Vegas. The Golden Knights thrived immediately after the expansion draft and now have a roster riddled with experienced veterans. Cassidy succeeded after taking over a similar veteran team in Boston, where he went 245-108-46 in the regular season and 36-37 in the postseason.