After missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights have fired the majority of their coaching staff including former Kootenay Ice head coach Ryan McGill.
McGill was the assistant coach for the Golden Knights since the team’s inaugural season in 2017.
The team missed the playoffs after a season plagued with injuries of some of their top players.
Although injuries were a big factor, the Golden Knights finished below league average on both the power play and penalty kill.
McGill coached the Ice from 1998-2002 and again from 2012-15.
In a press conference on Monday, general manager Kelly McCrimmon says they wanted new voices to lead next season.
“I really felt as the season wound down you can feel the fatigue that had gathered over time. We’ve got a 4 1/2-month off-season, which is going to be extremely important for our group. We missed the playoffs, which is humbling for a team no matter what the reasons were for how that happened,” McCrimmon said.
“And I think what it’s gonna give us is an opportunity in the fall to be incredibly rested, rehabbed, recharged, excited. When we went through it, I felt that we could enhance that by having a new voice leading our team into next season.”
McGill was fired alongside head coach Peter DeBoer and assistant coach Steve Spott.