New York Rangers Announce Mike Sullivan As New Head Coach

As has been widely speculated since it was announced that he would be parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Sullivan will become the 38th head coach in New York Rangers history. The news was first reported by Ryan Mead of Blueshirts Breakaway.

It almost feels as if it was the NHL’s worst kept secret that Mike Sullivan would return to the New York Rangers in a head coaching role. Sullivan, of course, is not only a former assistant coach with the New York Rangers, but was drafted by them 69th overall back in 1987.

Once his playing career came to an end in 2002, Sullivan quickly got into coaching, serving as the head coach of the Providence Bruins of the AHL in the 2003-03 season. He quickly climbed the ladder, becoming the head coach of the Boston Bruins from 2003-2005. Following the lockout season, Sullivan went on to serve as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lighting, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks before returning a head coaching with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. 

He was elevated to head coaching duties for the Pittsburgh Penguins in December of 2015, where he would immediately lead them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. In doing so, he became the first—and only—American-born coach to win the Stanley Cup more than once. He also became just the sixth coach in league history to win a Stanley Cup after being hired mid-season. After a decade at the helm in Pittsburgh, Sullivan has established his reputation as one of the most well-regarded coaches across the entire league. In over 900 NHL games coached, Sullivan has collected a record of 479-311-112, plus 15 ties, for a .592 career winning percentage, and a .602 career winning percentage in his time in Pittsburgh. 

It’s also worth noting that Mike Sullivan—similar to Chris Drury—has a ton of USA Hockey ties, as well as a Boston University connection. The two not only know each other, but worked together as Sullivan was the head coach of Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off and Drury was one of the assistant general managers alongside Bill Guerin. Interestingly enough, Sullivan's assistant coaches for that tournament were both former Rangers head coaches in John Tortorella—for him Sullivan was an assistant coach during his time with the Rangers—and David Quinn. Perhaps we could see that same trio behind the Rangers bench once again? 

Drury has reportedly shown interest in Mike Sullivan in the past but the timing has never lined up until now.

For more coverage of Mike Sullivan and the Rangers search for a new head coach, please see:

Mike Sullivan Would Fix More Than Coaching

Mike Sullivan isn’t just a coach. He’s the only one who can change the Rangers’ culture and tell Chris Drury “no.”

Blueshirt BanterJoe Fortunato

Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast #30: Mike Sullivan, Come On Down

Yes, it’s going to be Sullivan. Yes, you should be happy about that.

Blueshirt BanterEric Kohn

Blueshirt Banter Roundtable: Who Should Be the Next New York Rangers Head Coach?

The next head coaching hire for the New York Rangers will tell us a lot about the near-term future of this team. Here’s what the Blueshirt Banter team thinks will happen.

Blueshirt BanterBlueshirt Banter Staff