Editor's Note: This story last updated March 27, 2025.
There are 32 teams in the NHL. Of those, only four have not replaced their coach since February 2022. In 2024, 15 head coaches, including two current interim coaches, were hired.
It’s unusual for teams to make a move this late in a season, but Thursday proved that it’s not impossible.
The Philadelphia Flyers have sunk out of sight for any Stanley Cup odds status and a recent slump led the team to fire John Tortorella as coach on Thursday.
In the wake of Philadelphia’s move, we here at OntarioBets have updated our odds on the next coach to be fired after Tortorella. A reminder, these odds are for infotainment purposes only. You will not find them at any authorized Ontario sports betting operator in the province, such as Pinnacle Ontario Sportsbook or PointsBet.
Team | Coach | Odds | Percent Chance |
Nashville Predators | Andrew Brunette | 21.5% | +365 |
New York Rangers | Peter Laviolette | 17.4% | +475 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | Mike Sullivan | 17.4% | +475 |
Anaheim Ducks | Greg Cronin | 11.1% | +800 |
Utah Hockey Club | Andre Tourigny | 11.1% | +800 |
The Field | - | 4.0% | +2400 |
No more coaches fired by end of season | - | 17.4% | +475 |
Our odds are exclusive to BetOntario.com and not available at Ontario betting sites.
On March 1, after a 2-1 shootout win in Winnipeg against the Jets, the Flyers had earned nine points from their previous five games and stood just four points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The bottom fell out the rest of the month in Philly.
The Flyers lost 11 of their next 12 games, with their only win coming in a shootout over the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 13. They have allowed an average of 4.3 goals per game in that stretch and gave up seven goals in each of their past two games. In nine of those past 12 games, the Flyers didn’t even cover the puck line at Ontario sportsbook apps, losing by at least two goals.
Tortorella had been second on our list of coaches most likely to be fired next, at +275 odds. The coach who was the favorite before on our odds board remains so.
Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette stays at the top of our list, and his odds have shortened to +365. Nashville’s underwhelming season continues. The Predators have lost five of their past six and have just three points to show for it (1-4-1). Preds general manager Barry Trotz has expressed disappointment in how the team performed after spending nearly $60 million to sign Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault last July.
The duo ranks second and third, respectively, in scoring for Nashville, but neither has been the boost the perennial playoff team sought. As a result, the Predators will miss the playoffs for the second time since 2015.
We also removed Martin St. Louis from consideration. The former Tampa Bay Lightning star and Hall of Famer has the Montreal Canadiens in an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Montreal is also on track to have its first over .500 record in a full season since 2018-19, and the Habs’ top four scorers are all under 25.
Sports Interaction Ontario Sportsbook gives the Canadiens odds of +20000 to win the Stanley Cup in 2025. However, expect those odds to be shortened greatly in the next couple of seasons.
After losing 3-1 on March 25 at Los Angeles, the Rangers were one point behind the Canadiens for the final East playoff spot (but Montreal has played two fewer more games). New York remains very much alive in the chase for a playoff spot. There’s also an outside chance the Rangers (or their rival New York Islanders, who also are one point behind Montreal) could overtake a slumping and injury-prone New Jersey Devils squad for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Rangers have made the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons. That includes runs to the conference final in 2022 and 2024. Going from being at the cusp of the Cup to an also-ran will likely not sit well in Manhattan and might lead to the team moving on from their coach of two seasons.
Oddsmakers at 888Sport Ontario Sportsbook have lengthened the Rangers odds over the course of the month. After being at +2000 earlier in March, the Blueshirts are now priced at +5500 to win the Stanley Cup. Those odds are still shorter than the Canadiens, who are at +7000 with 888 despite being ahead of the Rangers in the standings.
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.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
