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Vegas GM puts blame on Edmonton Oilers for Bruce Cassidy debacle

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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May 28 2026, 10:45 pm
Vegas GM puts blame on Edmonton Oilers for Bruce Cassidy debacle
Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images

The rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights is picking up despite the two teams not playing each other since April.

After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers elected to fire head coach Kris Knoblauch. Their top replacement seems to be Bruce Cassidy, whom the Golden Knights fired in late March.

The issue for the Oilers is that they have not received permission to talk to the 2019-20 Jack Adams winner.

As is their right, the Golden Knights have not allowed the Oilers, nor the LA Kings for that matter, to interview Cassidy in hopes of making him their next head coach. The decision has drawn plenty of criticism, with Cassidy himself admitting on Thursday that he’s frustrated with how the process has been playing out.

Perhaps growing frustrated by the criticism, Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon fired back on Thursday. In an appearance on TSN 1050 in Toronto, he says the only reason this has even become a story is that the Oilers leaked it to the media.

“It’s only news because Edmonton leaked it. This isn’t something that came out of our organization,” McCrimmon said. “We’ve been forced to respond to it, which we did prior to our series against the [Colorado] Avalanche.”

McCrimmon also revealed that he is talking often with Cassidy throughout this entire process.

“I’ve talked to Bruce. I’ve talked to Bruce as recently as yesterday. I know how he feels. I know he wants to coach. He’s a hell of a coach, and he’s anxious to get going. Coaches, by definition, aren’t real patient people, so I understand what he wants and why he wants it. At the same time, I work for the Vegas Golden Knights, and my responsibilities are first and foremost to the organization.”

McCrimmon clearly feels strongly about the stance he and the Golden Knights are taking, which seems to suggest this situation may not be resolved in the immediate future. The Oilers may be forced to look elsewhere should the Golden Knights continue to play hardball.

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