NHL Punishes Las Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers Change Coach

May 16, 2026, 13:38
CanadaSports

Introduction

The NHL gave a fine and a penalty to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. At the same time, the Edmonton Oilers have a new coach.

Main Body

The NHL took a 2026 draft pick from the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Coach John Tortorella must pay $100,000. He did not talk to the media after a game. The league told him before, but he did not follow the rules. Now, the Edmonton Oilers have a new coach. They want Bruce Cassidy. They talked to him while Kris Knoblauch was still the coach. This is normal for sports teams. The Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch because they wanted a better leader. Some people think the timing was bad. But the team says they need a good coach to win.

Conclusion

Las Vegas lost money and a player pick. Edmonton has a new coach, but some people are unhappy.

Learning

⚡ The 'Past Action' Pattern

In this story, we see how to describe things that already happened. This is the most important part of moving to A2 English.

Look at these changes:

  • Give →\rightarrow Gave
  • Take →\rightarrow Took
  • Tell →\rightarrow Told
  • Do →\rightarrow Did

Why this matters: Most English words just add '-ed' (like fired or wanted), but the 'Power Words' change completely. You must memorize these separate forms to tell a story.

Example from text: "The league told him before, but he did not follow the rules."

Pro Tip: When we use did not, the action word goes back to its normal form.

  • Wrong: He did not followed ×\times
  • Right: He did not follow ✓\checkmark

Vocabulary Learning

fine
a sum of money paid as punishment
Example:The NHL gave a fine to the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
coach (n.)
A person who trains and directs a sports team.
Example:The coach explained the new strategy to the players.
penalty
a punishment imposed for breaking rules
Example:The league imposed a penalty on the team for the violation.
fine (n.)
A small amount of money paid as punishment.
Example:He had to pay a fine for breaking the rule.
draft
a selection process in sports where teams choose new players
Example:The NHL took a 2026 draft pick from the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
penalty (n.)
A punishment for breaking a rule.
Example:The penalty was added to the team's score.
media
newspapers, television, and other outlets that report news
Example:He did not talk to the media after a game.
draft (n.)
A selection of new players chosen by a team.
Example:The team used its draft pick to choose a promising player.
league
an organization of teams that play against each other
Example:The NHL is the league that governs professional hockey.
pick (n.)
An item selected from a group.
Example:His pick from the draft was a talented defender.
rules
guidelines that must be followed to play the game
Example:He did not follow the rules set by the league.
pay (v.)
To give money in exchange for something.
Example:She had to pay the fine before she could play again.
leader
a person who directs or guides a group
Example:They wanted a better leader for the team.
media (n.)
People or organizations that carry news and information.
Example:The coach avoided speaking to the media after the game.
timing
the choice of when something happens
Example:Some people think the timing was bad for the decision.
game (n.)
A sports match or competition.
Example:The game was postponed due to bad weather.
unhappy
not satisfied or content
Example:Some people are unhappy with the new coach.
league (n.)
An organization of sports teams that compete against each other.
Example:He joined the local league to play soccer.
coach
a person who trains and directs a sports team
Example:The Edmonton Oilers have a new coach.
rules (n.)
Instructions that tell people what they can and cannot do.
Example:All players must follow the league's rules.
leader (n.)
A person who guides or directs a group.
Example:The new leader helped the team improve.
bad (adj.)
Not good or of low quality.
Example:The timing of the decision was bad.