The Vegas Golden Knights lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games, and they didn’t take long to move on from head coach John Tortorella .
The Golden Knights’ quest for a Stanley Cup title ended with a 3-0 loss in Game 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights announced on Tuesday that Tortorella would not return in 2026. Tortorella had been named the coach after Vegas fired Bruce Cassidy with just eight games remaining in the regular season.
Vegas on Wednesday announced that it has promoted Ryan Craig to head coach. Craig served as the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas’ affiliate in the American Hockey League.
Officially official ⚔️
— NHL (@NHL) June 17, 2026
Ryan Craig has been named the new head coach of the @GoldenKnights! pic.twitter.com/vM0qkHLzeq
During Craig’s three seasons in Henderson, the Silver Knights saw their win total increase every season. This year, they made the postseason with a 39-21-12 record before losing to the Colorado Eagles in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Craig has familiarity with Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon. Craig played five seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, and that was when McCrimmon was the team’s owner and GM.
Tortorella’s contract with Vegas was going to end on June 30, so it’s not too surprising to see the Golden Knights make another change.
Tortorella made headlines when he guaranteed a Game 7 would take place. His proclamation fell short as Vegas went scoreless in the Game 6 loss on Sunday.
