LAS VEGAS — Thanks to the Vegas Golden Knights’ 4-1 series victory over the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, a Grand Rapids Griffins alum will have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for the fourth straight year, the 10th time in the last 16 years, and the 12th time in the last 19 seasons.
First-year Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy became the first former Grand Rapids coach to win the cup, four years after he achieved another milestone as the first to coach in a Stanley Cup Final, when his 2018-19 Boston team lost to St. Louis in seven games. He is the second Griffins alum to win the cup as a coach, joining Colorado head coach and former Grand Rapids defenseman Jared Bednar from 2022.
Cassidy was the Griffins’ head coach for two seasons (2000-02) and still boasts the highest points percentage among the 11 bench bosses in franchise history at 0.642 (95-49-11-4-3). In 2000-01, he led Grand Rapids to the International Hockey League’s final regular-season championship then won a second straight division crown during the Griffins’ inaugural American Hockey League campaign in 2001-02.
Joining Cassidy’s name on the cup will be that of Chris Davidson-Adams, who has served as the Golden Knights’ equipment manager since their inception in 2017. Davidson-Adams spent two seasons (2001-03) as the Griffins’ assistant equipment manager following a four-year stint as a locker room attendant (1996-00).
As the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs dawned in May, 13 of the 16 teams claimed a former Griffin within their player, coaching or hockey operations ranks.
STANLEY CUP FINAL RESULT
1. Vegas (head coach Bruce Cassidy, equipment manager Chris Davidson-Adams) defeated WC2. Florida (Givani Smith, assistant GM Brett Peterson), 4-1
CONFERENCE FINALS RESULTS
Eastern Conference
WC2. Florida (Givani Smith, assistant GM Brett Peterson) defeated 1. Carolina, 4-0
Western Conference
1. Vegas (head coach Bruce Cassidy, equipment manager Chris Davidson-Adams) defeated 2. Dallas (Luke Glendening, GM Jim Nill), 4-2
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
Eastern Conference
WC2. Florida (Givani Smith, assistant GM Brett Peterson) defeated 2. Toronto (Calle Jarnkrok, special assistant to the GM Jason Spezza), 4-1
1. Carolina defeated 2. New Jersey (Brendan Smith, Tomas Tatar), 4-1
Western Conference
1. Vegas (head coach Bruce Cassidy, equipment manager Chris Davidson-Adams) defeated 2. Edmonton (Mattias Janmark, pro scout Chris Cichocki, goaltending scout Jeff Salajko), 4-2
2. Dallas (Luke Glendening, GM Jim Nill) defeated WC1. Seattle (director of pro scouting Dave Baseggio), 4-3
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Eastern Conference
WC2. Florida (Givani Smith, assistant GM Brett Peterson) defeated 1. Boston (Tyler Bertuzzi, Tomas Nosek, assistant coaches John Gruden and Chris Kelly), 4-3
2. Toronto (Calle Jarnkrok, special assistant to the GM Jason Spezza) defeated 3. Tampa Bay (assistant GM Stacy Roest, assistant coach Jeff Blashill), 4-2
1. Carolina defeated WC1. NY Islanders, 4-2
2. New Jersey (Brendan Smith, Tomas Tatar) defeated 3. NY Rangers (assistant GM Ryan Martin), 4-3
Western Conference
1. Vegas (head coach Bruce Cassidy, equipment manager Chris Davidson-Adams) defeated WC2. Winnipeg (assistant athletic therapist Brad Shaw), 4-1
2. Edmonton (Mattias Janmark, pro scout Chris Cichocki, goaltending scout Jeff Salajko) defeated 3. Los Angeles, 4-2
WC1. Seattle (director of pro scouting Dave Baseggio) defeated 1. Colorado (Darren Helm, head coach Jared Bednar), 4-3
2. Dallas (Luke Glendening, GM Jim Nill) defeated 3. Minnesota (Gustav Nyquist, pro scout Mark Mowers), 4-2
