Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon has a simple explanation for why his club is commonly viewed as the villain of the NHL.
"For me, it's jealousy," McCrimmon said Wednesday, per NHL.com's Nicholas J. Cotsonika. "People are uncomfortable admitting that we've done a hell of a job."
The Golden Knights recently reached the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in nine seasons since entering the league and fell in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes. Vegas made a run to the final in its inaugural campaign and won a title in 2023.
Since joining the NHL, the Golden Knights have won more playoff games (76) and series (15) than any other team.
"I think people have a hard time explaining why we win as much as we do," McCrimmon said. "We've been in the Stanley Cup Final three times in nine years, and it's interesting. We went in 2018, 2023, 2026, and what that tells you is, that's three completely different teams. It's not like we went three times in four years with 90% of our nucleus remaining over the same period of time."
The Golden Knights' personnel decisions and use of long-term injured reserve have attracted controversy. The club recently made headlines after firing head coach Bruce Cassidy late in the season and subsequently denying him opportunities to speak with other clubs.
McCrimmon plans to stick with the franchise's aggressive approach.
"First and foremost, people come here because we try to win," McCrimmon said. "They like being on teams that try to win. There are players in the NHL that are on teams that I don't think the players are confident the team will win. That's how I see it. I'm not going to apologize for it."
