The NHL wanted to make an example out of the Vegas Golden Knights, handing down a harsh penalty, one notable insider believes.

The most surprising aspect of John Tortorella and the Golden Knights blowing off their media obligations after advancing to the Western Conference final was the NHL’s response.

The Vegas Golden Knights reached the conference finals for the fifth time in their nine seasons of existence with a win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, but the celebration was interrupted Friday by a surprisingly strong punishment from the NHL.

Bruce Cassidy was fired by the Vegas Golden Knights with eight games to go in the regular season. Despite that, it appears they’re not granting other teams permission to interview him.

The Vegas Golden Knights are off to Anaheim with a chance to clinch a berth in the NHL’s Western Conference finals with a Game 6 win over the Ducks in their second-round playoff series.

After being heavily punished by the NHL for their actions after Game 6 in Anaheim, the Golden Knights are staying tight-lipped.

Vegas Golden Knights are facing criticism after reportedly refusing to allow former head coach Bruce Cassidy to interview with other teams following his firing earlier this year.

Mark Stone and Jeremy Lauzon were not on the ice for the Vegas Golden Knights at Monday's practice. Still, there's a pathway for them to beat the Avalanche without these key players.