Mike Sullivan Out As Penguins Coach

PITTSBURGH, PA — Mike Sullivan, who guided the Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships in his 10 seasons, is out as the team's coach. Sullivan and the team agreed to part ways, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced.

“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” Dubas said.

“Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”

Sullivan was elevated from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL to be Pittsburgh’s head coach in December of 2015 and went on to lead the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017. Sullivan’s 409 wins with Pittsburgh make him the Penguins all-time wins leader and just the 14th coach in NHL history to win 400 games with one team.

A thorough search for the next head coach of the Penguins will begin immediately, Dubas said.