The New York Rangers done went and hired Mike Sullivan as coach, like, just days after he bounced from his gig with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The general manager, Chris Drury, announced the move on a Friday, bringing in the organization’s top candidate who was out of work for less than a full business week. “Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Drury said. “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 is stepping in for Peter Laviolette, who got the boot after the Rangers missed the playoffs following a trip to the Eastern Conference final last year. Sullivan, who coached Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and ’17, has the tall order of trying to turn the Rangers back into an immediate contender. Drury made the move to snag Sullivan not long after getting his own multiyear contract extension. “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,” owner James Dolan said. “I would like to welcome Mike back to the Rangers organization.”
Sullivan, aged 57, spent four seasons as an assistant for the Rangers under then-coach, and still close buddy and confidant, John Tortorella from 2009-13. He coached Drury back in those days, and the two have worked together professionally through USA Hockey, most recently at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, and are part of the U.S. contingent for the 2026 Milan Olympics. Tortorella, who got canned as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in late March, might join Sullivan on his staff, like he did at the 4 Nations, but no assistant hires were confirmed on Friday, and the organization is expected to discuss those openings in the coming days. Sullivan had been with the Penguins since getting hired midseason in December 2015 when Mike Johnston got the axe months into his lackluster tenure. This is his third head-coaching job in the NHL after a short stint with the Boston Bruins in 2003-04 and ’05-06 sandwiched around the lockout that wiped out a whole season. The fact that New York got Sullivan means there are seven teams around the league with vacancies: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Anaheim, Seattle, and Vancouver. Multiple teams that initially reached out to Sullivan will now have to pivot to other experienced options, including Rick Tocchet, Joel Quenneville, and Laviolette, as well as a couple of college coaches with recent national championships: Denver’s David Carle and Western Michigan’s Pat Ferschweiler.
So, there you have it folks – the Rangers have made a bold move in bringing in Mike Sullivan to lead the team. Only time will tell if this decision pays off in the long run, but for now, it’s a new chapter for the team and its fans.
