That is what came through when Cassidy finally addressed his late-season exit on TNT. The timing of it still clearly bothers him.
The panel said they were stunned to see him there. Cassidy did not duck that part.
For a coach, that is the payoff. Not getting through the grind. Finishing it. Chasing the Cup. Trying to get your name on it again.
Cassidy did not throw Vegas under the bus either. He said the Golden Knights have their standards, and they felt the team was not there, so they made a change.
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That is the part worth noticing. He did not sound like a guy trying to burn the place down on his way out.
He sounded like a coach who still believed he had earned the right to try to fix it. And honestly, that is a fair read.
Cassidy pointed out that Vegas had won with him before. He also said they were a first- to second-place team for most of the year.
That matters because this was not a team fully off the rails. It was still in a playoff position, still in the fight, and still carrying a roster loaded with proven players.
So when the TNT crew pushed him on loyalty, Cassidy gave the clearest answer of the whole segment.
That is the quote that lands hardest. Not anger. Not outrage. Just the feeling that he should have been allowed to finish what he started.
He even made sure to praise the room, calling them “great guys in that locker room” and “great players.” That only sharpens the disappointment, because it tells you he still believed in the group.
And that is why this story is going to hang around. Vegas made a move that shocked a lot of people, and Cassidy just confirmed that it shocked him too.
He may be handling it with class, but the message was still clear. He thought he had earned the chance to ride it out, and he is not going to pretend otherwise.
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LIVE
APRIL 28, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Kirill Kaprizov | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Matthew Boldy | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Miro Heiskanen | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Elias Lindholm | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Michael McCarron | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mats Zuccarello | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Matt Duchene | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan Hartman | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Quinn Hughes | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jason Robertson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Tage Thompson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Yakov Trenin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jason Zucker | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jonathan Aspirot | - | - | - | |
| Oskar Back | - | - | - | |
| Jamie Benn | - | - | - | |
| Zach Benson | - | - | - | |
| Lian Bichsel | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||