Ryan Craig is in, John Tortorella is out, and the Vegas Golden Knights made their next bench call fast.
According to the team's announcement, Craig has been hired as the fifth head coach in franchise history after Vegas decided not to retain Tortorella.
That ends a short, noisy stretch behind the bench for a club that still reached the Stanley Cup Final under Tortorella, then turned around and went looking for another voice.
Vegas didn't go outside the organization for that voice. It went straight to Henderson, where Craig spent the last 3 seasons running the Silver Knights.
COACH CRAIG
Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon has announced Ryan Craig will be the fifth Head Coach in franchise history.
Press release
-
The 44-year-old gave the affiliate a steady climb in the standings, pushing Henderson from 28 wins in 2023-24 to 29 in 2024-25 and then 39 in 2025-26.
That matters more than the headline splash. Vegas isn't hiring a big-name fixer here. It's betting that internal structure, player familiarity, and a clean message can hold the room.
Vegas bets on continuity, not a reset with Ryan Craig
Craig's biggest selling point is simple: he already knows the pipeline, the depth chart, and the pressure that comes with that market.
There won't be much of an adjustment period at camp.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon also keeps this move tight to the organization's identity instead of forcing another full reset on a veteran roster.
That choice says plenty about how Vegas views the miss.
The Golden Knights finished 39-26-17 for 95 points, so this wasn't a team starting from the basement.
It was a team close enough to stay aggressive, yet unsettled enough to move on from a coach who had just taken it to a Cup Final.
That's a sharp line to walk.
Now Craig steps into a bench where every lineup call will get tracked, every power-play slump will get picked apart, and every losing skid will circle back to this hiring call.
Still, this is the kind of move Vegas likes to make: direct, bold, and without much patience. Ryan Craig doesn't get a runway. He gets a contender, a spotlight, and immediate expectations.
Did the Vegas Golden Knights make the right call hiring Ryan Craig?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Fans completely turn on Stanley Cup winner after controversial picture
