IT’S OFFICIAL: Mike Sullivan to NY Rangers

Less than a week after the Pittsburgh Penguins fired long-tenured coach Mike Sullivan, the intense Boston-native with a pair of Stanley Cup rings quickly landed on his feet with a Penguins rival.

Friday morning, the New York Rangers made official the hot rumors that swirled Thursday night. Sullivan will be the next head coach of the New York Rangers. The official announcement came shortly after 9 a.m.

Sullivan, 57,  took over the Penguins’ bench in December of 2015 and guided the turnaround of the petulant, rudderless team loaded with talent. The Penguins won the 2015-16 Stanley Cup, then followed it up with the first back-to-back in the salary cap era. In fact, no other team has won back-to-back Cups with a full 82-game NHL schedule (Tampa Bay won the Cup in the 2020 Bubble Tournament and the 2021 shortened 56-game COVID schedule).

Read More: Kingerski: Credit Dubas, Reasons Said & Unsaid Why Sullivan Had to Go

In Sullivan’s nearly 10 seasons with the Penguins, he posted an impressive 409-255-89 record, becoming the Penguins’ all-time winningest coach. However, three straight playoff misses and a losing record this season were enough for general manager Kyle Dubas to terminate Sullivan, who had two years remaining on his Penguins contract.

Full details: https://t.co/UU43eQlhz6

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 2, 2025

“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Rangers GM Chris Drury said. “Given his numerous accomplishments throughout his coaching career – including two Stanley Cups and leading Team USA at the international level – Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. I’ve gotten to know Mike very well over the years, including as teammates in the 1997 World Championships, when he coached me as a player in New York and through our shared time working together with USA Hockey. 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 also the Team USA Men’s Hockey coach for the 2026 Olympics.

The Rangers’ press release did not mention the rumored hiring of John Tortorella as Sullivan’s assistant coach. Sullivan and Tortorella coached Team USA in the Four Nations Face-Off tournament in February, and they spoke fondly of coaching together for the first time since Sullivan was Tortorella’s assistant through several stops, including New York and Vancouver.

Sullivan will take over the struggling team from fired coach Peter Laviolette. The Rangers were expected to compete for a Stanley Cup this season, but instead internal strife and distractions led the team to the 11th worst record in the league.