The Vegas Golden Knights are hiring in-house after opting not to remove John Tortorella’s interim tag.
Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon announced Wednesday that the team has hired Ryan Craig as its next head coach. He’s quite familiar with the organization.
Former Golden Knights HC Gerard Gallant hired Craig, 44, as an assistant shortly before the team’s inaugural 2017-18 season. He remained in that role under three different HCs — Gallant, Pete DeBoer and Bruce Cassidy — for six seasons. After Vegas won the Stanley Cup during the 2022-23 season, the Henderson Silver Knights (the team’s AHL affiliate) hired Craig as HC.
So, Craig is plugged into the organization, but does that mean he’s suited to replace a much more experienced coach in Tortorella?
Is replacing John Tortorella with Ryan Craig the right move for the Golden Knights?
Yes, some of Tortorella’s decisions cost the Golden Knights in their Stanley Cup Final loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He refused to bench goalie Carter Hart, a big mistake. In six games in the best-of-seven series, Hart posted a poor .863 save percentage.
His frigid relationship with the media also cost the team future draft capital. The NHL forced the Golden Knights to relinquish a 2026 second-round pick after he skipped a postgame news conference during the team’s second-round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
Vegas, however, may have never reached the Stanley Cup Final without Tortorella. He assumed head-coaching duties after the team fired Cassidy following a 32-26-16 start. It immediately improved.
The Golden Knights finished the regular season 7-0-1 under Tortorella. They went 14-8 in the postseason, which included a sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
Perhaps if Vegas did promote Tortorella, who turns 68 on June 24, he would lead the Golden Knights back to the championship series and win his second Stanley Cup. Instead, they’ll turn to Craig, who didn’t post an overly impressive record in the AHL.
He went 96-95-25 with the Silver Knights. This past season, the team posted a 39-21-12 record, snapping a four-year playoff drought. It lost to the Colorado Eagles in four games in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Craig’s stepping into a much better situation in the NHL. He’s being handed the keys to a Stanley Cup contender, which features right winger Mitch Marner and center Jack Eichel.
That said, this creates high expectations for the rookie HC. If he fails to meet them, Vegas would wonder if it should’ve stuck with Tortorella or hired another seasoned HC.