Tortorella not returning as Golden Knights' coach

John Tortorella, who guided the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final, will not return as head coach next season, the team announced Tuesday. Tortorella, 67, was a surprise hire when he was brought in with eight games remaining in the regular season. The Golden Knights had fired Bruce Cassidy, who had one year remaining on his contract, while the team was in playoff position. Vegas lost Game 6 on Sunday night as the Carolina Hurricanes captured the Stanley Cup. Tortorella's deal with the Golden Knights was only through June 30, the end of the league calendar. "We thank Torts for the guidance he provided our team since joining the organization in March," general manager Kelly McCrimmon said in a statement. "When the decision was made to bring Torts to Vegas, we needed an immediate impact to help us at a pivotal point in the season. Torts' experience and leadership proved to be the boost that we were looking for, helping guide us to the Stanley Cup Final. We are grateful for Torts' passion, sincerity, and commitment to our organization, and we wish him and his family the best." Tortorella would like to coach next season, sources told ESPN. He gained respect among veteran Golden Knights players, often likening himself to a guidance counselor who needed to instill confidence in the group. The Golden Knights are expected to evaluate the rest of their coaching staff, which includes Dominique Ducharme, Joel Ward, John Stevens and Sean Burke. Sources say the Golden Knights have long viewed Ryan Craig -- who is the organization's head coach in AHL Henderson -- as the future coach of the franchise. He has a longstanding relationship with McCrimmon, dating back to Craig's junior hockey playing days as captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, a team McCrimmon ran. Cassidy is still under contract with the Golden Knights, and Vegas has not granted him permission to interview with the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers -- divisional rivals who have vacancies. McCrimmon had justified that the team was focused on the playoffs, though it's unclear whether he will change his mind now that the season is over. Although Los Angeles moved on and hired Peter Laviolette last week, the Edmonton job is still available. The Oilers have been exploring hiring Mike Babcock, pending a league investigation, though they would have preferred Cassidy. The NHL has ruled that Vegas is within its rights to withhold permission while Cassidy is still employed by the franchise, and a noncompete clause leaves Cassidy without recourse.