On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to move on from their head coach, Mike Sullivan. They parted ways with the coach after the third straight year of missing the playoffs.
The team backslid this season. After narrowly missing the postseason in 2023-24, the Penguins finished the regular season 11 points out of the wild card spot, and they were never really in contention this season.
Per the NHL, this was GM Kyle Dubas’ official statement:
“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade. Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness.”
The GM added that he was fortunate to have a front-row seat to the coach’s dedication to the Penguins for the last two seasons. Sullivan has spent the last 10 years with Pittsburgh, but Dubas is a relative newcomer.
Dubas went on to say he’d always be an “enormous part” of the team’s history, not only for wining two titles and impacting Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust, but for his “love” and dedication to the team.
He closed:
“This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”
Sullivan will likely be one of the most coveted head coaches for those with openings.
Which NHL teams can hire Mike Sullivan?
It is expected that Mike Sullivan will be in high demand for teams once they begin hiring this offseason. More coaches can, like Sullivan, be fired in the coming days. Some playoff teams might even move on depending on how they do.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are one vacancy that won’t hire Sullivan, but there are otherwise plenty of options. The New York Rangers have been tabbed as the best fit for the coach.
The Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Seattle Kraken could all hire the now-fired coach as well.
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Edited by Rajdeep Barman
