LAS VEGAS (AP) — Adin Hill made 22 stops and the Vegas Golden Knights opened the John Tortorella era with a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.
One day after the Golden Knights fired coach Bruce Cassidy, who led the team to a Stanley Cup title in 2023, they treated Tortorella to a comeback victory.
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Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) scores against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) chases after the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) scores against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson, right, celebrates after his goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, center top, looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Rasmus Andersson, Shea Theodore, Reilly Smith and Cole Smith scored for Vegas.
Evander Kane and Brock Boeser scored for the Canucks, while Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves.
Tortorella, who coached Tampa Bay to the 2004 Stanley Cup title, met with the players earlier in the day, as general manager Kelly McCrimmon is hoping the 67-year-old veteran coach can reignite a locker room just three years removed from a championship season.
The team found its spark in the second period, when Andersson tied the game midway through to overcome its first one-goal deficit, and then again when Theodore made it 2-all five minutes after Boeser’s goal.
Reilly Smith scored the game-winner near the end of the second, and Cole Smith’s empty-netter provided the final margin.
The Golden Knights brought a three-game skid into Monday and opened their final eight-game stretch with a much-needed win. Vegas, which had lost six of its past seven games, is in third place in the Pacific Division just one point behind the Edmonton Oilers.
The Golden Knights remain in playoff position despite the recent play that saw them enter having lost 12 of their past 17 since the Olympic break.
Tortorella has been signed for the remainder of this season and the playoffs.
Canucks: Visit the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
Golden Knights: Host the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
This story has been corrected to show that Smith scored the game-winner near the end of the second period, and Tortorella coached Tampa Bay to the 2004 Stanley Cup title.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) scores against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vancouver Canucks left wing Evander Kane (91) chases after the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) scores against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson, right, celebrates after his goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella, center top, looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
SEATTLE (AP) — While slugger Aaron Judge took batting practice at T-Mobile Park, an advertisement featuring him and Cal Raleigh flashed on the videoboard with a link to buy tickets to the series between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners.
The reigning AL MVP was in the No. 2 hole for the Yankees on Monday night, but Raleigh, runner-up for that award last year after hitting 60 homers — the most in a season by a catcher — was not in the Mariners' starting lineup for the opener.
That didn't stop Raleigh, who started the season 2 for 15 with 10 strikeouts, from playing the hero. He came off the bench in the seventh inning and hit a walk-off single just inside first base in the ninth that gave Seattle a 2-1 victory.
“I was just looking for something hard over the heart of the plate," Raleigh said. "It cut in on my hands a little bit, but I was able to keep it fair.”
Before the game, manager Dan Wilson said he sat Raleigh, who appeared in three World Baseball Classic games for the United States, to get him some rest four games into the season.
“Coming out of spring training, he had sort of a shorter spring training in a lot of ways,” Wilson said. “And, didn’t want to spike his workload too much.”
Last season, Raleigh appeared in a career-high 159 games for the Mariners and racked up 705 plate appearances, as well as an American League-best 125 RBIs. Ahead of arriving in Seattle, Judge told The Associated Press he was particularly impressed by Raleigh’s work ethic while they were teammates at the WBC.
“Greatness leaves a trail,” Judge said. “Just how he controls himself, how he controls that pitching staff, he’s going to have another great year, that’s for sure.”
As much as Raleigh excelled last season, it took a bit for the 29-year-old to hit his stride last year, too. It wasn’t until his 10th game of the season in 2025 that Raleigh’s average climbed above .200, and it took until mid-April for the powerful catcher to start hitting home runs at a prodigious clip.
It's in part why the even-keeled Raleigh isn't particularly worried about his own performance, or that of similarly struggling teammates like Josh Naylor (0 for 19) or Julio Rodríguez (1 for 19).
“It’ll be OK. I know a lot of people in that locker room, a lot of guys across the league are fighting the same thing," Raleigh said. "They’re trying to find timing. And, it’s under a microscope more so now than it is in the middle of a season just because it’s the start of the season, everybody’s excited.”
While Raleigh drew ample headlines for his hitting prowess in 2025, what separates him according to Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is that he’s a multi-dimensional talent, not just a hitter.
Vogt, who was a major league catcher for 10 years, said he thinks Raleigh is clearly the best two-way catcher in the game, but expectations should be tempered a bit in light of what he accomplished last year.
“For him to hit 60 homers again is unrealistic,” Vogt said. “I think if anybody’s expectation is 50-plus homers for anyone, it’s just not realistic. But, I think Cal’s still a great offensive player, and I think he’s going to have another great year.”
It may be unrealistic for Raleigh to again match Hall of Famer Babe Ruth, who also hit 60 home runs in 1927, a single-season record that stood for 34 years. But, Raleigh has hit at least 30 home runs each of the last three seasons, and the Mariners hope to receive that kind of production from the All-Star catcher again in 2026.
Wilson said last season, the Mariners consistently monitored Raleigh’s workload to see if his production would ever dip. But it never did, and it wasn’t until the 35th game of the season that Raleigh did not start either at catcher or designated hitter.
This season, Wilson evidently took a more proactive approach — and reaped the rewards quite quickly.
“We’re trying to assess this as we go and make sure that we don’t put him in a tough spot,” Wilson said. “I think he’s a hard guy to get out of the lineup because he wants to be in there so badly. But, I think it just felt like today was a good day to get him some rest.”
AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
Seattle Mariners' Luke Raley, left, throws water on Cal Raleigh to celebrate Raleigh's game-winning single as New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. walks away after a baseball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates his game-winning single against the New York Yankees in the ninth inning with teammates after a baseball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodríguez, top back, jumps on Cal Raleigh to celebrate Raleigh's game-winning single over the New York Yankees in a baseball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Luke Raley celebrates with Cal Raleigh, right, after Raleigh's game-winning single against the New York Yankees after a baseball game, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits a game-winning single during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Cooper Criswell, right, celebrates a win with catcher Cal Raleigh, left, over the Cleveland Guardians in a baseball game, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh walks back to the dugout after grounding out against the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh walks back to the dugout after striking out with runners on base to end the fifth inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
