Editor's Note: This story last updated April 29, 2025.
The last time we updated our Next NHL Head Coach Fired Odds, which was a week ago, we said it was hard to see Mike Sullivan getting fired as the Pittsburgh Penguins coach.
It turns out that part of what we said about Sullivan was true. On Monday, the Penguins announced the team and its most successful coach in the franchise’s history mutually parted ways.
With the Penguins and Sullivan now moving on, we have also adjusted our odds for the next NHL coach to be fired, as the playoffs roll on for the best Ontario sportsbooks.
Team | Coach | Odds | Percent Chance |
Nashville Predators | Andrew Brunette | +125 | 44.4% |
New York Islanders | Patrick Roy | +185 | 35.1% |
Dallas Stars | Peter DeBoer | +2000 | 4.8% |
Vegas Golden Knights | Bruce Cassidy | +2400 | 4.0% |
Utah Hockey Club | Andre Tourigny | +3200 | 3.0% |
The Field | - | +1075 | 8.5% |
Judging by the comments Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas told reporters on Monday, he felt that “it was just time” to move on from the coach who was under contract through the 2026-27 season.
With another coach gone, the odds shorten for both Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predator5s and Patrick Roy of the New York Islanders. Roy lost his boss a week ago when the Islanders dismissed Lou Lamoriello as their president and general manager. A new GM on the Island could bring a hand-picked coach with them.
Elsewhere, we lengthened the odds on Peter DeBoer as the Dallas Stars have found new life in the Stanley Cup playoffs, though that has as much to do with the generosity of the Colorado Avalanche. Dallas leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 after a 6-2 win in Monday’s Game 5.
That it was a tied series heading into Tuesday was part miraculous and part head-scratcher. Through the first four games of the series, the Stars held a lead for just 62 seconds. That all came in Game 2, when Dallas led 2-1 early in the second period. The Avalanche eventually took a 3-2 but Dallas tied it to force overtime, where they won 4-3.
Last Wednesday, Colorado held a 1-0 lead until midway through the third period when Dallas tied it. The Stars took that game in OT as well. So, the Stars (and DeBoer) are somewhat fortunate not to have their season over already.
Game 5 was the first game of the Stars-Avalanche series where Dallas was completely in control throughout. Has the team that ended the regular season with seven straight losses finally turned things around? If so, then DeBoer likely finds a way off the board.
With Sullivan gone, OntarioBets – where we review Ontario sports betting apps – has added Vegas Golden Knight coach Bruce Cassidy to our list. Much like DeBoer, Cassidy has enjoyed a lot of success in Sin City, where he led the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in his first season back in 2023.
Normally, that would be enough to secure a coach for a while. However, this is Vegas. Less than two seasons after leading the franchise to the Stanley Cup final – in its inaugural season, mind you – Gerard Gallant found himself fired midway through the 2019-20 campaign. At the time, Vegas was 24-19-6, just three points back of the Arizona Coyotes for the Pacific Division lead.
Gallant was replaced by DeBoer, who guided the Golden Knights to the Western Conference final in 2020 and the semifinals (that season’s equivalent to the conference final) in 2021. However, Vegas let him go after he led the team to a 43-31-8 record in 2021-22 because the Golden Knights missed the playoffs for the only time in the team’s short history.
Yes, Cassidy led them to the Cup, but that was followed by a fourth-place divisional finish and a first-round exit last season. The Golden Knights won the Pacific this season, but they find themselves in a first-round fight with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are finally healthy, but they still entered the series as big underdogs to the Golden Knights. With that series tied at 2 heading into Tuesday’s Game 5 and the team’s penchant for quick changes, Cassidy’s seat could turn very warm very quickly.
As the series heads back to Vegas, Pinnacle Ontario Sportsbook still has the Golden Knights as a big favorite to advance. The Golden Knights’ odds are -254, while the Wild are priced at +212 to stage the upset.
So why could a coach like DeBoer or Cassidy be let go despite their successes? Part of it is because of a coach like Sullivan becoming available on the market. He certainly received a ringing endorsement Monday as Dubas, speaking with reporters, touted Sullivan’s coaching bona fides.
Dubas explained his rationale for letting Sullivan go was that in the recent history of the NHL, there has not been a coach to lead a team to Stanley Cup contention and then through a rebuild before bringing the organization back to contender status.
“I think that two things can be true: That someone could be a great head coach, and they'll move on to become a great head coach on their next stop, and it could also be time for change here,” Dubas said.
Sullivan will certainly be coveted by several teams that are looking for a coach. Whether he’ll be behind a bench somewhere next season will likely rest on him.
USA Today photo by Aaron Doster
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters. He shares his expertise on OntarioBets, among other sites.
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