Bruce Cassidy, head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, responds to a question during a news conference at City National Arena in Las Vegas Thursday, June 16, 2022.
Thursday, June 16, 2022 | 12:46 p.m.
When Bruce Cassidy got the news he was being fired as coach of the Boston Bruins, he didn’t want to wait too long getting back to work.
It took all but eight days for the 57-year-old Cassidy to land on his feet with the Golden Knights hiring him to be their next head coach.
“As I told some people, I just got tired of being out of work,” said a laughing Cassidy, who was formally introduced as the franchise’s third head coach today. “So here we are.”
After more than a decade with the Bruins organization — eight with Providence in the American Hockey League followed by six with the Bruins — Cassidy was let go from Boston after six straight playoff appearances and one trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
“Obviously, when you get let go, it’s disappointing. There’s a lot of emotions that go into it,” Cassidy said. “You sort of lick your wounds, console your children and then the phone started ringing for me.”
The Golden Knights were the first to call. General manager Kelly McCrimmon mentioned when coach Pete DeBoer was fired May 16 that time would be on Vegas’ side. The list of candidates, McCrimmon said, wasn’t extensive. At least two — Barry Trotz and Rick Tocchet — were considered the organization’s frontrunners.
But when Cassidy became available, the focus switched instantly. The Golden Knights pounced on the opportunity to hire a coach who had won 67% of his games the past six seasons in Boston and won the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year in 2020.
“I think [fans] are going to be really impressed with how Bruce’s teams play,” McCrimmon said. “We think the makeup of our roster lines up with what Bruce’s strengths. We think we’re going to be a really hungry team in the fall with something to prove.”
Cassidy coached a top-five defense in terms of goals allowed with Boston this season, and that is the overall style he preaches — an emphasis on keeping the puck out of the net and tailoring the defense to be goalie-friendly.
Offensively, Cassidy said, he wants his group to put opposing teams on their heels. That includes valuing possession in the offensive zone while giving players the creative freedom with the puck on their stick.
The Bruins held that consistent identity once Cassidy became the full-time coach in 2018. Boston had a top-11 offense in his first three seasons, while simultaneously finishing in the top five in goals allowed throughout his tenure.
“We don’t want to sit back. We’re not going out there to win a game 1-0,” Cassidy said. “You have to be comfortable in close games, but we want to put teams on their heels. We want to score goals, but not at the expense of firewagon hockey.”
Cassidy said the Golden Knights’ recent track record of coaches — with Gerard Gallant and DeBoer lasting under three seasons each — did not sway him from taking the job. He said he was pleased with his contract.
“Turk and Pete, I’ve gotten to know them over the years — two excellent coaches doing great things in the league,” he said. “I thought I did a good job in Boston, too, and here I am. It’s part of the business.”
Cassidy was fired in 2004 from the Washington Capitals, when George McPhee was the general manager. Cassidy was 37 years old at the time McPhee hired him.
Now Cassidy, 20 years later, is back with McPhee.
“I got let go,” Cassidy said. “This is not some sort of revenge tour. I want to prove to myself, more importantly, that I’m capable of doing the job and winning in the postseason. I think when you come close to winning the Cup, it’s always in the back of your mind and you want to finish the job. That’s my mindset.”
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
