Now that Mike Sullivan has officially parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers have already jumped in as the favorites to land the Stanley Cup-winning coach.
After 10 seasons with the Penguins, Sullivan is free to search for a new head coaching gig and coincidentally, the Rangers are looking for a coach.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury pursued Sullivan in the past, specifically in 2021 when he reportedly did some behind-the-scenes work to see if Sullivan was interested in a move according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple.
Sullivan wasn’t interested in moving on from the Penguins at that time and Drury went ahead and hired Gerard Gallant, a marriage that only lasted two seasons before he was fired in 2023.
Some people around the NHL believe that it is a matter of when the Rangers hire Sullivan, not if.
“I’ve gotten messages from NHL general managers already this morning saying ‘Does Mike Sullivan end up in New York today or tomorrow?’ I think it is one of those things that could be locked up within the next 42 to 78 hours,” NHL insider Frank Seravalli said.
The Rangers have been through three coaches since 2021 between David Quinn, Gallant, and most recently Peter Laviolette who was fired after the completion of the 2024-25 season.
The other teams looking for head coaches include the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, and Seattle Kraken.
