- Bettman called the Cassidy standoff “completely reasonable” at his Cup Final presser
- LeBrun says Cassidy’s contract has no out clause, unlike some coaches
- Read below for video of the league’s comments
Bruce Cassidy isn’t getting any help from the league office.
Gary Bettman and Bill Daly were asked at their press conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final about Vegas refusing to let Cassidy interview with the Oilers and Kings. Bettman called the whole situation “completely reasonable.”
Daly laid out the league’s position first.
“Obviously, we don’t find it unreasonable because we’re allowing it to happen,” Daly said. “I do think Vegas is clearly within their contractual rights to do what they’re doing. We also understand and appreciate that they’re on a Stanley Cup run right now, and they don’t need the distractions, necessarily, from a coach signing somewhere else.”
Bettman put it on the coach. “When you sign and insist upon a long-term contract, there are certain, under league policies, consequences of that, and so where we find ourselves is completely reasonable,” he said.
Watch the league’s full media availability:
The reason nobody can force Vegas’s hand comes down to contract language. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun explained on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer that coaching contracts aren’t standardized like player deals, and some coaches negotiate out clauses that let them walk for another job. Cassidy never got one.
LeBrun called it “a wake up call for any head coach in that position to want to negotiate that kind of language.” Catch the clip:
Vegas fired Cassidy in late March with a year left on his deal, then reached the Cup Final under John Tortorella. Cassidy has already said he’d give up his salary tomorrow if that freed him up to interview. GM Kelly McCrimmon’s only comment so far was a shot at Edmonton for leaking the story.
Unless Vegas softens, Cassidy stays parked until the Golden Knights’ season ends. They lead Carolina 1-0 in the Final, so the wait could run deep into June.
