Mike Sullivan is set to take the helm in New York. The New York Rangers officially announced his hiring as head coach on Friday.
Sullivan`s appointment follows the Rangers` decision to fire head coach Peter Laviolette on April 19th. The move came after a disappointing season where the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The 57-year-old Sullivan recently parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins by mutual consent on April 28th, concluding a ten-season stint with the team.
Rangers General Manager Chris Drury expressed his confidence in the new coach. In a press release, Drury stated, “Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL. His extensive list of accomplishments throughout his career—including two Stanley Cups and leading Team USA internationally—brings a championship pedigree to our bench.”
Sullivan guided the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. His head-coaching record across 917 games with Pittsburgh and the Boston Bruins stands at 479-311-15-112.
He holds multiple franchise records for the Penguins, including most regular season games coached, regular season wins, playoff games coached, and playoff wins.
Drury made the move to hire Sullivan shortly after securing a multi-year contract extension for himself.
Team owner James Dolan welcomed Sullivan back to the organization, saying, “Mike’s record of success in the NHL and on the international stage speaks for itself. I look forward to seeing him leading the Rangers, and I`m pleased to welcome Mike back.”
Sullivan has a history with the Rangers, having served as an assistant coach under John Tortorella, a close friend and confidant, from 2009 to 2013. He coached Chris Drury during that time. The two have continued to collaborate professionally through USA Hockey, most recently at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, and are part of the U.S. staff for the 2026 Milan Olympics.
There is speculation that Tortorella, who was fired by the Philadelphia Flyers in late March, could join Sullivan`s staff, as he did for the 4 Nations tournament. However, no assistant coach hires were confirmed on Friday, with the organization expected to discuss potential candidates in the coming days.
The Rangers missed the playoffs this season, a notable downturn after reaching the Eastern Conference Final in the previous year.
Their performance decline saw the departure of veteran players. Forward Barclay Goodrow was placed on waivers and claimed by San Jose in June, while captain Jacob Trouba was traded to Anaheim in December after waiving his no-trade clause. Several key players who remained, including Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, and goaltender Igor Shesterkin (who recorded his lowest save percentage in North America), also seemed to underperform.
Laviolette`s time with the Rangers, which began in June 2023, was his sixth NHL head-coaching position. His previous roles included three seasons with Washington, as well as coaching the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes (with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2006), and the New York Islanders.
Numerous head-coaching vacancies still exist across the league. Teams currently seeking a new bench boss include the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks.
Teams that previously contacted Sullivan will now need to explore other experienced candidates. Potential options include Rick Tocchet, Joel Quenneville, and Peter Laviolette, as well as successful college coaches like David Carle from Denver and Pat Ferschweiler from Western Michigan, both of whom have recently won national championships.
