Head Coach Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins part ways

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins and Head Coach Mike Sullivan have agreed to part ways after nearly a decade, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced Monday.

“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.”

Sullivan became the Penguins head coach in December of 2015 and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017. Sullivan had 409 wins with the team, making him the Penguins all-time wins leader and the 14th coach in NHL history to win 400 games with one team.

Dubas addressed the Media after the announcement, saying there were no demands from Sullivan when the two met on Sunday.

“There were no demands last Tuesday, there were no demands yesterday, there were no demands in the period in between. There have never been any demands from Mike, or whatever it’s turned as. I just got briefed on it on the way over here. Non-negotiables never happened,” Dubas said.

He said two things can be true: “Someone could be a great head coach, will move on to become a great head coach on the next stop, and it could also be time for change here.”

During the press conference, he mentioned multiple times how it’s “essentially impossible” for a coach who has led a team to winning and being in contention to lead them through a transition and all the way back to contending.

Over the next month, Dubas said virtual interviews will start, and then move to in-person interviews by the end of May or early June. He is expecting the new head coach to be named in early June. Although the entire process may be delayed because of coaches in the NHL and AHL playoffs.

Dubas addressed what style of play he wants to see in the new head coach: “Number one, we have to be way more competitive. We have to find more competitive players. We want people who need to become faster. We need to become more talented and skilled.“

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