The Pittsburgh Penguins and head coach Mike Sullivan have agreed to part ways, ending his eight-and-a-half-year tenure with the organization. The decision comes after the Penguins finished 13th in the Eastern Conference this season.
Sullivan’s departure follows a prolonged period of playoff disappointment for Pittsburgh. The team hasn’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 2018, when they lost to the Washington Capitals.
The playoff drought includes a 2019 sweep by the New York Islanders and a qualifying round exit against the 12th-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the 2020 bubble. The Penguins also squandered series leads against the Islanders and New York Rangers in subsequent seasons.
Pittsburgh has now missed the postseason for three consecutive years.
Sullivan’s early success with the Penguins was remarkable. After replacing Mike Johnston midway through the 2015-16 season, he led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
Those titles solidified Sidney Crosby’s legacy, coming seven years after his first Cup victory.
The team’s decline occurred despite efforts from three general managers – Jim Rutherford, Ron Hextall, and Kyle Dubas – to build a competitive roster around Crosby. Issues with the power play, defensive coverage, and goaltending plagued recent Penguins teams.
While Crosby maintained his elite offensive production, teammates Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson showed signs of decline.
The 2024-25 NHL season has brought significant changes across the league. The Boston Bruins traded several key players and missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The New York Rangers fired coach Peter Laviolette after just two seasons.
Sullivan, 57, could be a candidate for either of those Original Six franchises. He previously coached the Bruins before and after the 2005 lockout and served as an assistant coach with the Rangers under John Tortorella in the early 2010s.
The Anaheim Ducks and Seattle Kraken also have head coaching vacancies, while the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers are evaluating their interim coaches.
Despite recent struggles, Sullivan remains one of the most respected coaches in hockey and will likely attract significant interest.
Sullivan’s departure also adds context to his coaching rivalry with Jon Cooper. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Team Canada head coach defeated Sullivan’s Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, with a rematch scheduled for the 2026 Olympics in Italy.
Cooper now stands as the only active NHL coach who has been with his current team for at least a decade.
