Coaching Carousel: 5 Teams Chasing Mike Sullivan; Tocchet Leaves Vancouver

Five teams are already pursuing Mike Sullivan, but that number might rise to six soon. Conversely, former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Rick Tocchet has left the Vancouver Canucks after a tumultuous season.

Counting the Penguins, who parted with Sullivan Monday, there are eight vacant coaching jobs, and according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, five teams have already called Sullivan.

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

One potential candidate for the Penguins job came available Tuesday, when reports surfaced that Tocchet would leave the Canucks. Tocchet not only won the 1992 Stanley Cup as a player with the Penguins, but was also a Penguins assistant coach, first under Mike Johnston, then Mike Sullivan, from 2014-2017.

Tocchet, 61, has just one playoff series win in nine seasons as a head coach, and after distractions and trades, including dealing J.T. Miller to New York, Vancouver missed the playoffs this season. A statement from Tocchet is expected later Tuesday.

Five teams have already inquired about free-agent coach Mike Sullivan. No surprise there given his stature in the coaching world. My sense is some called tire kicking, curious, others very much with serious interest. He won’t be out of work for too long.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 29, 2025

While Tocchet may be tied to the Penguins, Sullivan had ties to the Vancouver front office. Former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is the president of hockey operations, and long-time Penguins scout and executive Patrik Allvin is the general manager.

LeBrun didn’t name the five teams that have contacted Sullivan, but the New York Rangers have long been rumored to be interested. At the time of LeBrun’s report earlier Tuesday, there were six openings aside from the Penguins, which means that, according to LeBrun, five of six teams called Sullivan.

The eight teams with openings are:

• Anaheim Ducks
• Boston Bruins
• Chicago Blackhawks
• New York Rangers
• Philadelphia Flyers
• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Seattle Kraken
• Vancouver Canucks