Bruce Cassidy is interested in the Toronto Maple Leafs' head coaching vacancy and would be open to speaking with the club if granted permission by the Vegas Golden Knights, he told The Athletic's Jonas Siegel.
The Golden Knights fired Cassidy with eight games left in the regular season and have since denied him opportunities to speak with the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. The Kings recently hired Peter Laviolette, while the Oilers are reportedly working to hire Mike Babcock, leaving the Maple Leafs as the only other open coaching role.
Vegas' refusal to allow Cassidy to speak with a pair of the team's Pacific Division rivals sparked plenty of controversy, and Cassidy himself described the situation as "upsetting."
The NHL Coaches' Association released a statement saying Cassidy should be allowed to interview elsewhere, but the NHL maintained the Golden Knights were acting within their contractual rights.
Cassidy coached the Golden Knights for four seasons, accumulating a 178-99-43 record and winning a Stanley Cup in 2023. He oversaw the Boston Bruins' bench for six seasons before that.
The Maple Leafs are reportedly conducting in-person interviews with five head coaching candidates this week. Former San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski is one of the finalists.
