Mike Sullivan Confronts His Past in the NHL
In an unexpected turn of events, Mike Sullivan, known for his successful ten-season tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, found himself in a peculiar situation. On Tuesday night, at Madison Square Garden, Sullivan, now head coach of the New York Rangers, watched as his former team, the Penguins, spoiled his debut with the Rangers. Sullivan admitted it was a strange feeling to face players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, whom he had coached in Pittsburgh, now as his opponents.The Rangers couldn’t score, being outplayed by goalie Arturs Silovs, who made 22 saves. Justin Brazeau, a Penguins player, scored two goals. The Rangers were outshot 15-5 in the third period and failed to generate a consistent offense in Sullivan’s debut.“Obviously it’s different. I knew it was going to be like that,” Sullivan commented after the Penguins’ 3-0 victory in the first game of the 2025-26 NHL season. “But I’m excited about the group I have here with the Rangers. I’m really looking forward to working with this group.”
Mike Sullivan, Coach of the New York Rangers
Sullivan and the Penguins parted ways in April, despite having a contract through the 2026-27 season. During his time with the Penguins, Sullivan achieved 409 victories, being the fourteenth coach in NHL history to reach 400 wins with the same team. He led Pittsburgh to win two consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. A few days later, Sullivan was hired by the Rangers to replace Peter Laviolette, signing a five-year contract that made him the highest-paid coach in the NHL. Previously, Sullivan had been an assistant coach in New York from 2009 to 2013, during which time he coached current Rangers general manager Chris Drury. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby acknowledged that it was different to see Sullivan on the Rangers’ bench instead of his own. Crosby not only faced Sullivan on the opposing bench, but also saw former Penguins assistants David Quinn and Ty Hennes accompanying Sullivan in New York. While Sullivan suffered the defeat against his former team, the new Penguins coach, Dan Muse, obtained the victory. Muse was Laviolette’s assistant coach for two seasons in New York and, according to reports, was interviewed for the position before Sullivan was hired.“I think we have a long way to go to become the team we want to be. I’m not going to overreact. It’s one game. We have a lot of hockey to play,” added Sullivan, who will also coach the United States team in the ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Mike Sullivan, Coach of the New York Rangers
The Penguins featured Crosby, Malkin, and Letang in their starting lineup, three players who have been together on the team since 2007.“Every team will tell you, especially at the beginning of the season, that it’s not going to be perfect. You’re just trying to be on the same page as much as possible. And I feel like it prepared us well to start the year,” Crosby said.
Sidney Crosby, Captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins
“We had three guys who have been playing together for 20 years, and I thought it was important that they started the game together,” Muse commented.
Dan Muse, Coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins
