Vegas once blocked Oilers from hiring AHL coach: Pagnotta

Insider Dave Pagnotta says the Vegas Golden Knights have denied the Edmonton Oilers before when it comes to coaches.

Pagnotta appeared on Daily Faceoff’s The Sheet Friday morning to talk about the ongoing Bruce Cassidy situation, of which there is no update, but he did share new information he learned.

Pagnotta said the Golden Knights had blocked the Oilers from hiring one of their assistant coaches “a few years ago.”

“The Edmonton Oilers asked permission to speak with one of the assistant coaches within the Vegas-Henderson organization,” said Pagnotta, referencing the Golden Knights’ AHL team.

“They were granted permission. The interview took place. This individual got offered an assistant coaching job with the Oilers. Vegas then denied that pursuit and held on to the contract. He was then elevated within the organization about a year or so later.

“But this is not the first time this has happened between these two clubs. So I wonder if this is just continuing because they don’t want to deal with divisional rivals, but I’m sure there’s a little more to the backstory of all of this. I found that one interesting.”

Pagnotta said he wouldn’t name who the coach was.

With just two playoff series going on, much of the talk in the NHL remains on the Golden Knights withholding permission from the Oilers to speak to ousted coach Cassidy.

The Edmonton Oilers coaching search has been quiet, with only one name confirmed (besides Cassidy) in Craig Berube.

Being Pacific Division rivals, the Oilers and Golden Knights have done almost no business together in the league. The rivalry off the ice showed in 2024, when the Golden Knights claimed Oilers’ prospect Raphael Lavoie off waivers, as Edmonton was trying to pass the former second-rounder to the AHL.

The Oilers claimed him back two days later. The Golden Knights reclaimed him one day after that.

Otherwise, the two teams have never made a trade together since Vegas entered the league in 2017-18.

The assistant coach may have been Joel Ward, who was an assistant coach in Henderson from the 2020-21 season to 2022-23. Ward was then elevated to the Golden Knights bench in 2023-24.