NHL coaching changes tracker: Canucks fire Adam Foote, Maple Leafs dismiss Craig Berube after disappointing seasons originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The NHL offseason is always full of drama, and it usually begins with the coaching carousel.
During the year, many teams made coaching changes as they tried to spark their clubs for a playoff push, with some finding more success than others. After the regular season ended, teams then made final decisions on coaches who were in charge during disappointing campaigns.
Typically, teams that fire head coaches are facing high expectations or undergoing regime changes, as they seek a new voice in the locker room moving forward. In recent years, it has seemed like no head coach is truly safe as long as teams feel there is a better option on the market.
Here’s a look at the coaching changes so far in 2026.
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2026 NHL head coaching changes
| Team | Fired Coach | Replacement |
| Blue Jackets | Dean Evason | Rick Bowness |
| Los Angeles Kings | Jim Hiller | |
| Vegas Golden Knights | Bruce Cassidy | John Tortorella |
| New York Islanders | Patrick Roy | Pete DeBoer |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Craig Berube | |
| Edmonton Oilers | Kris Knoblauch | |
| Vancouver Canucks | Adam Foote |
MORE: Ranking the best candidates to replace Craig Berube
NHL Hired Coaches 2026
Rick Bowness, Blue Jackets
Veteran coach Rick Bowness took over for the Blue Jackets in the middle of January, leading Columbus to a 21-11-5 record in the final 37 games. However, the Blue Jackets failed to make the playoffs in the final week of the regular season despite playing better under Bowness.
After the final game of the season Bowness heavily criticized the team’s effort while making the case that he would change the culture if he got the chance to come back. It seemed like that speech worked, as Columbus hired Bowness full-time for the 2026-27 season and beyond. The Blue Jackets mark the eighth team for whom Bowness has been a head coach.
John Tortorella, Golden Knights
Just weeks before the playoffs, the Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy, who led the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023, as Vegas was sputtering down the stretch. In Cassidy’s place, Vegas hired veteran coach John Tortorella in hopes that he would spark the team.
Thus far, the gamble has worked. Under Tortorella, the Golden Knights have won two playoff rounds and are facing the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals. The playoff run likely means that the Golden Knights will keep Tortorella for next year and beyond.
Pete DeBoer, Islanders
Like the Golden Knights, the Islanders fired head coach Patrick Roy late in the regular season hoping to ignite the team by hiring Pete DeBoer. Unlike Vegas, though, the Islanders missed the playoffs as their struggles continued.
Still, the Islanders got a jump start on hiring DeBoer, who would’ve been a hot coaching candidate in the offseason for teams making a coaching change. DeBoer brings a wealth of experience with many deep playoff runs despite never winning a Stanley Cup title.