Although many expected him to retire after coaching the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final, John Tortorella wants another crack at things if afforded the opportunity.
In an interview with Joe Smith of The Athletic, Tortorella said, “Oh, I want to coach. I want to coach now. I’m not sure if that happens, and that’s where I am in my career.
But I wanted to coach that Vegas team. I told (general manager Kelly McCrimmon) that.” Instead, the Golden Knights opted to promote from within, bringing up Ryan Craig from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Unfortunately for Tortorella, the hiring cycle passed him by, and there are no longer any vacancies needing to be filled. Still, if an opportunity does become available during the 2026-27 season, Tortorella will be selective. He spoke in the interview about the differences between coaching teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the more established group in Vegas.
If he does land another role next season, expect it to be with an organization that should be a playoff contender, but isn’t quite playing to its ceiling.
Additional afternoon notes:
Even though he wasn’t ultimately hired as the next General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, we do know that Assistant General Manager Evan Gold won’t be remaining with the Boston Bruins. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reported that the New York Islanders have shown interest in Gold, although it is unclear which position he would take. Regardless, because his contract with the Bruins runs through August 1st, we won’t know for another week which organization the analytical guru will land with.
The St. Louis Blues are adding some experience around new General Manager Alexander Steen. Earlier today, the Blues announced they’ve hired Sergei Zubov as an Advisor to Hockey Operations. Outside of his 16-year Hall of Fame career with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Dallas Stars, Zubov has spent the last several years as a coach for various clubs in the KHL.