Penguins Part Ways with Mike Sullivan After 10 Seasons Behind Bench

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they have parted ways with head coach Mike Sullivan after 10 seasons behind the bench.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas announced the news early Monday morning, and now the search for a new bench boss will begin. Dubas released a statement regarding the parting with the long-time coach Sullivan.

“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,” said Dubas. “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, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. 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.”

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Sullivan has been in the Penguins organization for the better part of 10 seasons after he was promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. He would go on to lead the team to two Stanley Cups and represent his country as the head coach at the 4-Nations Tournament this past season. Unfortunately, he and the Penguins have now missed the playoffs for the third straight season, which hinted at a potential change being made.

The Penguins now join the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken as teams looking for a new head coach.

Fortunately for Sullivan, he likely won’t be out of work for long given his resume. In fact, he may be in line for one of the Bruins or Rangers jobs, as both teams will want a high-profile coach to take over their bench.