New York (AFP) – Mike Sullivan, who guided the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cup titles, was hired on Friday as head coach of the New York Rangers, the NHL club announced. The 57-year-old American was fired by the Penguins on Monday after 10 seasons with the club, which missed the playoffs the past three campaigns. Sullivan replaces Peter Laviolette, who was fired two weeks ago after two seasons with the Rangers.
“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said. “As we began this process and Mike became an available option for us to speak with, it was immediately clear that he was the best coach to lead our team.” The Penguins won the 2016 and 2017 NHL crowns but had not captured a playoff series since 2018 under Sullivan, who went 409-255 with 89 overtime losses during his time in Pittsburgh.
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“Given his numerous accomplishments throughout his coaching career — including two Stanley Cups and leading Team USA at the international level — Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench,” Drury said. Drury was a player under Sullivan as coach in the 1997 world championship. The Penguins finished 34-26-12 and finished 11 points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Sullivan, set to coach the US Olympic team next year in Italy, coached the USA in the NHL’s 4 Nations Faceoff in February, where the Americans lost to Canada in the final. He also served as an assistant coach for the Rangers from 2009-2013.
Sullivan’s overall NHL coaching record with Pittsburgh and Boston is 479-311-112 with 15 ties, making him sixth in wins among active NHL coaches. His hiring leaves four NHL teams still searching for a head coach — Anaheim, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Vancouver.
© 2024 AFP
