Opinion: Golden Knights Cross The Line By Preventing Oilers From Interviewing Bruce Cassidy
The Vegas Golden Knights have a well-earned reputation as being one of the most cutthroat teams in the NHL.
For the most part, we've never had any problem with Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon making bold and pre-emptive moves to keep his team in the thick of things as they pursue the second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
However, the Golden Knights have reportedly withheld permission from their Pacific Division rival, the Edmonton Oilers, to interview fired coach Bruce Cassidy, according to Victory+ insider Frank Seravalli. Cassidy is still under contract with Vegas but is not working for them.
We don't know why the Golden Knights would turn down Edmonton's request to speak with Cassidy, whom McCrimmon fired on March 29, with only eight games remaining in the regular season.
Vegas Shuns Oilers: Denies Permission To Speak with Bruce Cassidy About Coaching Job
The Golden Knights are reportedly blocking the Edmonton Oilers' pursuit of Bruce Cassidy, sparking debate over league ethics and a ruthless strategy.
Coaches get fired every season, and you rarely, if ever, hear that the team that fired them is deliberately blocking their path back to working in hockey's top league again.
While the Golden Knights have cut or traded players they no longer believe they can win a championship with, you don't see a team hanging onto one of those players while refusing to let them continue to play with a different team. That's a no-no.
Once a team makes the choice to fire a coach, it should go without saying that they shouldn't stand in the way of that coach regaining employment with a different team. So the Golden Knights need to either grant permission, make it public why they withheld permission from the Oilers to interview Cassidy, release a statement saying they've never been approached by the Oilers about Cassidy, or deal with the criticism that's coming their way after Tuesday's report.
Where Does Oilers Chase for Cassidy Leave Kris Knoblauch?
Stan Bowman's reported pursuit of Bruce Cassidy leaves Edmonton's current bench boss in professional limbo, facing an awkward tenure overshadowed by the front office's clear desire to upgrade.
Now, this report doesn't look good on the Oilers if they're looking for a replacement for current coach Kris Knoblauch without first firing him. It no doubt can't feel good for Knoblauch to see these reports about Cassidy, but Edmonton GM Stan Bowman should give his coach the same chance to be hired by a different team rather than holding onto him until they decide on his future.
Most coaches go into their job knowing full well they could be fired at any time. However, coaches should expect to be treated fairly once a team chooses to go in a different coaching direction.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 4:32 PM.