By STEPHEN WHYNO
The New York Rangers have employed Mike Sullivan as coach, days after he and the Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to half methods.
Basic supervisor Chris Drury introduced the transfer Friday, bringing within the group’s prime candidate who was out of labor for lower than a full enterprise week.
“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Drury mentioned. “Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. … 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.”
Sullivan replaces Peter Laviolette, who was fired after the Rangers missed the playoffs following a visit to the Jap Convention closing final yr. Sullivan, who coached Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup again to again in 2016 and ’17, is tasked with making an attempt to show the Rangers again into a right away contender.
Drury made the transfer to get Sullivan not lengthy after receiving a multiyear contract extension of his personal.
“Mike’s track record and success in the NHL and internationally speaks for itself, and I look forward to seeing him behind the Rangers bench,” proprietor James Dolan mentioned. “I would like to welcome Mike back to the Rangers organization.”
Sullivan, 57, spent 4 seasons as a Rangers assistant below then-coach and nonetheless shut pal and confidant John Tortorella from 2009-13. He coached Drury throughout that point, and the 2 have labored collectively professionally by means of USA Hockey, most just lately on the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, and are a part of the U.S. contingent for the 2026 Milan Olympics.
Tortorella — who was fired as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in late March — may very well be a candidate to hitch Sullivan on his workers, as he did on the 4 Nations, however no assistant hires had been confirmed Friday and the group is predicted to debate these openings within the coming days.
Sullivan had been with the Penguins since getting employed midseason in December 2015 when Mike Johnston was fired months into his lackluster tenure. That is his third head-coaching job within the NHL after a brief stint with the Boston Bruins in 2003-04 and ’05-06 sandwiched across the lockout that worn out a whole season.
New York getting Sullivan leaves seven groups across the league with vacancies: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Anaheim, Seattle and Vancouver. A number of groups that originally reached out to Sullivan will now should pivot to different skilled choices, together with Rick Tocchet, Joel Quenneville and Laviolette, in addition to a few school coaches with latest nationwide championships: Denver’s David Carle and Western Michigan’s Pat Ferschweiler.
Initially Revealed: Might 2, 2025 at 9:19 AM EDT
