Golden Knights' Bruce Cassidy on verge of Stanley Cup victory after long coaching journey

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Bruce Cassidy struggled so badly in his first NHL coaching job with Washington that it knocked him out of the league for more than a decade.

Cassidy coached in the junior ranks and the minors before getting a second chance with Boston. When he was fired from that job, he was out of work a grand total of a week before the Vegas Golden Knights hired him.

Less than a full calendar year since putting pen to paper with Vegas, Cassidy and the Golden Knights were on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup going into Game 5 on Tuesday night. It would be the first championship for the franchise and the veteran head coach.

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Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy speaks during a news conference after Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Sunrise, Fla. The Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2.  (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

"The rewarding part is seeing it all come together at the right time," Cassidy said after Vegas beat Florida to take a 3-1 lead in the final. "Every coach in this league works hard to prepare their team, puts in a lot of time and effort, sacrifice away from your family at times, so, that’s the rewarding part. And then to get your name on the Cup is the ultimate reward."

Almost two decades ago, when Cassidy was dumped less than a season and a half into his tenure with the Capitals, it seemed unheard of that he'd get another NHL job, let alone be on the doorstep of guiding a team to a championship. George McPhee — now Vegas' president of hockey operations — hired Cassidy in 2002, then fired him 17 losses in 25 games into the