The Pittsburgh Penguins and head coach Mike Sullivan have mutually agreed to part ways after a decade-long tenure that included two Stanley Cup championships, the team announced Monday.
Sullivan departs as the winningest coach in Penguins\' history and the second-longest tenured NHL coach behind only Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The decision comes at a pivotal moment for the organization, which has missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.
\"This decision was not taken lightly, but was one we felt was the best course forward for all involved,\" Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement.
The Penguins finished the season with a 34-36-12 record, ending 11 points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Sullivan\'s departure signals a deeper commitment to the roster overhaul that Dubas has been implementing in an effort to return to competitiveness before franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin retire.
Sullivan, who was under contract through 2026-27, will likely be in high demand with six NHL teams currently seeking head coaches, including the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Seattle Kraken. Vancouver\'s Rick Tocchet and Penguins assistant coach David Quinn are expected to be among the candidates to replace Sullivan in Pittsburgh.
The separation ends a remarkable run that began when Sullivan took over midseason in 15-16, immediately leading the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.