The Vegas Golden Knights came up short in the 2026 Stanley Cup finals as they lost the championship to the Carolina Hurricanes in a 3-0 Game 6 loss on Sunday. This put an end to what was otherwise a strong postseason run for a team with a modest regular season record.
A key factor behind Vegas’ postseason success was the impact of John Tortorella behind the bench. Tortorella took over the reigns late in the season after the team let go of Bruce Cassidy in March. The Golden Knights felt the need to make this move based on a poor stretch of play that nearly saw the team drop out of a playoff spot.
Tortorella steadied the waters in Vegas and got the team back on track late in the year. They were able to carry that momentum into the playoffs all the way to an appearance in the finals. It was an impressive period for him and the team. With that said, his squad failed to finish the job in the end. Vegas was not able to force a Game 7, making Tortorella’s quote following Game 5 age poorly.
Tortorella Was Confident Vegas Would Return to Carolina
Despite a Game 5 loss last Thursday that saw Carolina take their first lead in the series, Tortorella remained confident in his teams chances on the brink of elimination. In the postgame interview, he stated: “We’ll be back here…. I’m going to leave my clothes here (Raleigh), that’s for sure. They’ll be in the hotel.”
Clearly, Tortorella believed his group would win Game 6 and return to Carolina for Game 7. This did not happen as the Hurricanes decisively took home the road victory at Vegas, avoiding the need to play another game at home.
The belief Tortorella had in his team is understandable. They performed valiantly to get to this point, sweeping the President Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in order to advance to the finals. A comeback was not out of question for Vegas, but they were unable to back up Tortorella’s confidence this time.
Tortorella’s Future in Question
The next question for Tortorella is what happens next for the longtime coach? After helping backstop his team to a western conference championship, the interest will be there throughout the league for his services if he decides to stick around.
Surprisingly, that road will be unlikely to continue in Vegas. Tortorella’s deal with the Golden Knights was only for this season, so they will probably look elsewhere for a long term solution to the position.
There will be plenty of teams interested in Tortorella if he becomes available. It is hard to argue a team with more incentive to bring him aboard than the Edmonton Oilers. They may need to pursue a different candidate if their Mike Babcock hire does not get cleared by the NHL.
This is a coach that makes too much sense for the Oilers. They need a guy with a playoff-winning resume and Tortorella has that. He has a Stanley Cup ring in his arsenal. Edmonton needs a winner; Tortorella could be who finally puts them over the edge.
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