The NHL has publicly backed the Vegas Golden Knights in one of the league’s most contentious coaching disputes, as Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addressed the ongoing Bruce Cassidy-Edmonton Oilers situation for the first time.
Speaking during the Stanley Cup Final press conference, Daly made it clear that Vegas is operating within its contractual rights by refusing to grant Edmonton permission to interview Cassidy, despite the veteran coach being fired in March.
“Obviously, we don’t find it unreasonable, because we’re allowing it to happen,” Daly said. “I do think Vegas is clearly within their contractual rights to do what they’re doing, and we also understand and appreciate that they’re on a Stanley Cup run right now, and they don’t need the distractions necessarily.”
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Cassidy remains under contract with Vegas through the 2026-27 season after being dismissed shortly before the playoffs. The Oilers identified him as their preferred coaching target following the firing of Kris Knoblauch, but Vegas has blocked interview requests from both Edmonton and the Los Angeles Kings.
Daly added that league officials have spoken directly with Cassidy.
“Where we go from there, obviously, we’ve talked to all the parties involved in this, including Bruce, so he knows what our position on the subject, he might not be happy about it, but he was accepting of it,” Daly said. “We’ll see where we go.”
NHL sides with Vegas on contract interpretation
Bettman reinforced the league’s position by pointing to the realities of long-term coaching agreements.
“When you sign and insist upon a long-term contract, there are certain policies and consequences of that, and so where we find ourselves is completely reasonable,” Bettman said.
Daly also noted that not every NHL coaching contract is structured the same way.
“There are contracts that exist in the league that would not allow for this to happen,” Daly said. “This was not one of them.”
From the league’s perspective, this is less about competitive fairness and more about contract enforcement. Vegas is not violating any NHL rule by holding Cassidy’s rights, even after terminating him as head coach.
What it means for the Oilers?
The bigger issue is Edmonton’s urgency. The Oilers entered 2025-26 with Stanley Cup expectations but finished with a 41-30-11 record and were exposed by defensive breakdowns all season. They ranked among the NHL’s top scoring teams, yet their 269 goals against highlighted persistent structural flaws.
That imbalance ultimately contributed to a first-round exit against the Anaheim Ducks and cost Knoblauch his job despite his previous success.
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So, for the Oilers, Cassidy makes sense as a target because his teams are typically defined by defensive discipline, puck management, and accountability away from the puck. Those are precisely the areas where Edmonton struggled. However, the league’s comments suggest the Oilers may have to wait longer than expected.
The irony is hard to miss. While Cassidy remains stuck in coaching limbo and publicly frustrated, Vegas has advanced to the Stanley Cup Final under John Tortorella. For now, the Golden Knights hold all the leverage, and the NHL appears comfortable letting them keep it.
