The Pittsburgh Penguins and head coach Mike Sullivan agreed to part ways on Monday after 10 seasons and two Stanley Cup championships together.
Sullivan, 57, set a franchise record with 409 wins behind the bench but missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.
“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,” general manager Kyle Dubas said in a news release. “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 promoted from head coach at AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in December 2015 and guided the Penguins to back-to-back championships in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
He leaves Pittsburgh with a 409-255-89 record, including a 34-36-12 mark and a seventh-place finish in the Metropolitan Division in 2024-25. His Penguins were 44-38 in seven playoff appearances.
He had two years remaining on a contract extension signed in 2022.
Sullivan has 479 career wins, including two seasons as head coach of the Boston Bruins in 2003-04 and 2005-06.
–Field Level Media
