Vegas Golden Knights management saw a team in need of a major shakeup.
But new head coach John Tortorella says he'll take things slowly.
"Let’s face it, the organization is a really good organization. I’d just like to see us play faster," Tortorella told reporters in a press conference on Monday.
"They’ve been a pretty successful team here for years. I know it’s been a bit of a struggle this year, but we still have a lot of faith that we can find our way."
The Golden Knights stunned the hockey world on Sunday when they fired Stanley Cup winner Bruce Cassidy in favour of Tortorella after the team lost three in a row and six of its past seven games. Vegas is in third place in the Pacific Division and on track to make the playoffs despite the recent skid.
Tortorella credited Cassidy for leaving the team in a good spot.
"The guy that left here? He’s a pretty damn good coach, so I feel very fortunate coming into this situation," he said.
Cassidy led the Golden Knights to the Cup in 2023 and got fired less than three years later.
Tortorella joins the organization for his 24th NHL season as a head coach. He was not in the league this year and was an assistant for the U.S. at the Milan Cortina Olympics, where it won gold. He coached Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup in 2004.
"I have a few points of emphasis that we’ll go over as a team, just about mindset and odds and ends," he said.
"I just want to come in and keep my head down and try to help the best way I can, to try to find a way to get in, and see where we go from there."
Tortorella's Golden Knights debut will come quickly on Monday as his team hosts the Vancouver Canucks (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT).
--with files from The Associated Press
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