Knights GM McCrimmon has had better days than Tuesday
Steve Carp
Host · Writer
Tuesday wasn’t one of Kelly McCrimmon’s better days.
Instead of celebrating his team’s participation in the Western Conference Final against Colorado, the Vegas Golden Knights general manager wound up apologizing for the missteps in Anaheim last week following the team’s series-clinching 5-1 win over the Ducks.
The NHL docked the Knights a second-round pick in next month’s draft for repeated violations of the league’s media policies and fined coach John Tortortella $100,000 for his failure to appear at the postgame news conference.
The team appealed the decisions by the NHL but there was no change in the punishment. The loss of the pick and the fine to Tortorella stands.
“We were today in New York where we had a hearing with the National Hockey League regarding the events following Game 6,” McCrimmon read from a prepared statement. “We missed a great opportunity that night to connect with our fans and share with them a victory in a playoff series. I've always felt in a playoff series when you win a series, you galvanize the bond with your fanbase. We missed that opportunity by not having John available to do postgame. That's on John for failing to do that, that's on me as a general manager of the hockey club.
“That's not at the feet of our comms people who made other
arrangements with each of you to accommodate the tight quarters in and around our dressing room postgame. We have no explanation other than to say we were wrong and to assure you that it will not happen again. The league has spoke on the matter, we have spoke on the matter. Neither John or I will be taking any questions on this.”
But it didn’t end there for McCrimmon. The team has been catching heat the past couple of weeks for not allowing former head coach Bruce Cassidy the opportunity to explore opportunities to coach elsewhere. McCrimmon claimed the team is not ready to address the matter while it is still competing in the postseason and that he told Cassidy that.
Los Angeles, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver all reportedly would like the chance to sit down and talk with Cassidy, who was fired with eight games remaining in the regular season and had guided Vegas to the Stanley Cup in 2023, but have been denied by Vegas. Not surprisingly, the Kings, Oilers and Canucks all compete with the Knights in the Pacific Division
Prior to McCrimmon’s comments on the matter at the team’s Denver Hotel, the NHL Coaches Association issued a statement:
“The NHLCA has been closely monitoring the situation involving Bruce Cassidy. While we respect the League's rules and processes, it is our position that coaches who remain under
contract, but are no longer working for their Club, should not be prevented from pursuing other employment opportunities. It would be unprecedented at the head coaching level should multiple teams be denied permission to speak with Coach Cassidy. The situation is still unfolding, but our priority is to protect the interests of our members in this type of
circumstance.”
McCrimmon’s statement on Cassidy was: "Teams have asked for permission to speak with Bruce. We've been consistent that our focus currently is on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the teams have respected that. I’ve spoken with Bruce, he understands this as well."
My guess is Cassidy will get his chance to continue his coaching career in the coming weeks. Still, I’m not sure how this stance creates any kind of distractions for the team. The fact McCrimmon had to even address Cassidy could be cause for distraction. Instead of talking about dealing with Colorado, we’re talking about a former coach being denied the opportunity to find work.
It would’ve been nice to get some kind of update on the injuries to forward Mark Stone and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. But McCrimmon didn’t have one. Tortorella? He has made it clear that he won’t discuss injuries publicly so don’t bother asking him. He was sitting right next to McCrimmon Tuesday.
So we play on. Sort of.
A poll from Rotowire claimed the Golden Knights are the NHL’s most hated team and that fans in 11 states see the Knights as villainous. Even hockey fans in Hawaii hate the Knights despite the fact they love visiting Las Vegas, affectionately nicknamed “The 9th Island.”
Incidentally, the Avalanche aren’t exactly beloved across America. Nine states, from Michigan to Texas think the Avs are evil.
Nevada? The Silver State hates the Oilers. Maybe that’s why McCrimmon won’t permit them to talk to Cassidy?
Nah. Not good enough a reason. Probably more like they don’t want Butch coaching the guy who wears No. 97 in Edmonton. Guy named McDavid. Perhaps you’ve heard of him?
So while there wasn’t a whole lot of clarity Tuesday, the focus will return to what happens on the ice Wednesday. The outcome of Game 1? Who knows? What is certain is that Tortorella will show up for the postgame news conference. How much does he say and for how long does he speak? That’s as unknown as Mark Stone’s lower-body injury.
