Villainous Golden Knights Strike First in Stanley Cup Finals
The Vegas Golden Knights struck first in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals when they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on the road in Game 1.
The Golden Knights, who entered the series as the underdog, have quickly flipped to becoming a -155 betting favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the cup after stealing back home-ice advantage.
Considering the team has essentially turned into the villains of the NHL, it doesn't feel fair how good they are. But they are indeed very, very good, and they are now three wins away from winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, and the first since 2023.
What Makes the Golden Knights the Villains?
There are several reasons why the Golden Knights are seen as the villains of the NHL.
This team operates in a cutthroat manner that many other franchises do not. If the team doesn't think you can help them win, they get rid of you. The only thing that matters is the crest in the center of the jersey, not the name on the back of the jersey.
There have been many players the Golden Knights have let go of over the years, including fan favorites like goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, winger Jonathan Marchessault, and center Nicolas Roy. These were important players to the team and helped them win. But when they saw the opportunity to move on from them and get better, they took it.
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The team also goes through coaches at a clip no other franchise in the league does.
In 2018, Gerard Gallant led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first year as the team's head coach in what was the then-expansion franchise's first season in the league. Two years later, he was gone after he couldn't get them over the hump.
The Golden Knights then brought in Pete DeBoer as their head coach. He's one of the most-winning coaches in hockey, but he couldn't bring a cup to Vegas, so he was gone two years later.
The team then struck gold with Bruce Cassidy, who won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023. But three years later, Cassidy was booted when the team felt he couldn't help them win another cup.
With just eight games to go in the regular season this year, the Golden Knights hired John Tortorella as the team's interim head coach. He led the team to a 7-0-1 record in those eight games, and now, during the playoffs, he has the Golden Knights three wins away from another Stanley Cup.
But Tortorella is only an interim head coach, and even if he brings Vegas another cup, there's no guarantee that he comes back. If the team feels there's another head coach out there that can do an even better job going forward than the 67-year-old Tortorella, they'll hire them instead.
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Vegas is Not Well-Liked by the Media
The Golden Knights also seemingly do not care about their relationship with the media.
After they beat the Anaheim Ducks in the second round this year, Tortorella refused to speak to the reporters after the game, which violated the NHL's media policies and cost the team a second-round draft pick as a fine, in addition to Tortorella personally being fined $100,000.
It was an extremely odd way to conduct business, and the Golden Knights have never truly apologized for it. Although Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said he accepted the league's decision, the club never said sorry, and Tortorella refused to comment on the matter.
Then there's Carter Hart. The Golden Knights' goalie has been red-hot during this year's playoffs, and he could win the Conn Smythe Trophy as this year's playoff MVP.
But he's a highly controversial figure, as he was involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal. Hart was later acquitted, but the Golden Knights PR team is refusing to let the media ask him any questions about the incident.
In addition, the Golden Knights are blocking the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings from speaking to Cassidy, the team's former head coach, about their vacant coaching gigs. Although Cassidy was let go by the team in March, he's still technically under contract with Vegas for one more year.
Instead of letting him move on with his career, the Golden Knights won't let him talk to other clubs, with their rationale being that they are focused on the cup and don't want the distraction.
But that doesn't make a whole lot of sense when they are just bringing more attention to it by not letting Cassidy talk to other clubs. Plus, this is not the typical way NHL teams operate; if they fire a coach, they almost always give their blessing to let them talk to other teams. Not the Golden Knights, however.
There is no doubt that Vegas is an incredible hockey club. In just nine seasons in the NHL since they entered the league as an expansion team, they have made the Stanley Cup Finals three times, and they are three wins away from winning their second cup.
They know how to win hockey games, and they have figured out the magic formula to get the job done at all costs.
But they do not do themselves any favors with the way they treat the media, coaches, and players, and until that ever changes, they will continue to be the villains of the NHL.
Related: The Five Worst NHL Stanley Cup Finals Ever (At Least Since 1980)
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 11:07 AM.