Penguins and Mike Sullivan part ways, ends run as second longest-tenured NHL coach

The longstanding figure behind the bench in the Steel City is no more.

On Monday, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas announced that the team and head coach Mike Sullivan have agreed to part ways, ending the longest run of any active coach in the NHL.

“I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and the City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” Dubas said in a release. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history … 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.”

The decision comes after one of the franchise’s worst seasons in a long time. Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the third straight season, something the team hasn’t done since Sidney Crosby’s first year in the league. The Penguins’ 34-36-12 record marked the first time since 2005-06 that the team finished below .500.

Sullivan joined the Penguins organization in 2015, starting off as the head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. However, after just a few months on the job, he was promoted to Pittsburgh after the team let Mike Johnston go. Just a few months later, Sullivan and the Penguins won the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup.

The team followed that up with another Cup the following season, becoming the first team in the salary cap era to win back-to-back championships.

Though he never won a Jack Adams Award for coach of the year, Sullivan earned the respect of many around the league for how he was able to take Pittsburgh and make them a consistent playoff team. The Pens made it to the postseason in his first seven seasons at the helm. However, the team won just one series after winning the Stanley Cup in 2017, last making it to the playoffs in the spring of 2022.

With over nine seasons of service, Sullivan was the longest-tenured coach in the franchise’s history. With the Penguins, he guided the team to a 409-255-89 record.

Sullivan also served as the head coach of the Boston Bruins for two seasons from 2003 to 2006.

With Sullivan’s firing, there are currently seven head coaching vacancies across the NHL, including the Bruins and the New York Rangers. The Massachusetts native worked as an assistant coach for four seasons in New York under John Tortorella from 2009 to 2013. Sullivan also worked with Tortorella in 2013-14 when they were hired by the Vancouver Canucks.