6:03PM: Friedman said on NHL Network on Monday, “I just don’t know how after the season they had this year that the Rangers aren’t at the forefront of this making sure that no one is going to do a better job of courting Mike Sullivan than they are. In 2021 when Chris Drury got the job, before he hired Gerard Gallant, he made sure that Mike Sullivan was not going to be available. They just worked together at the 4 Nations.”
1:21PM: Elliotte Friedman said on Sportsnet 590 that “I can not imagine the Rangers letting this opportunity get away from themselves….If you are the Rangers and you are reeling after the season, I can’t imagine the Rangers letting this go by them. I’d be surprised if the Rangers don’t pull the old Godfather make him an offer I can’t refuse thing.”
10:04AM: The Penguins have announced that Mike Sullivan will not return as Head Coach.
Sullivan coached the Penguins to Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 but the Penguins have not made the playoffs in the last three seasons.
Adam Rotter: This is a major development and immediately gives the Rangers a clear cut top choice to replace Peter Laviolette. He and Drury have connections through Boston University, USA Hockey and Sullivan was an assistant coach with the Rangers while Drury was the Captain. Sullivan was thought to be the Rangers top choice to replace David Quinn and to replace Gerard Gallant but he wasn’t available. Now he is. The Rangers likely won’t hesitate to make him the highest paid coach in the NHL. He coached JT Miller when he was with the Rangers and again with Team USA at the 4 Nations, same with Chris Kreider though there is less certainty Kreider will return. Adam Fox and Vincent Trocheck also were with Sullivan at the 4 Nations.
But it’s not guarantee that Sullivan will be the next coach of the Rangers. The biggest impediment to that is that the Bruins are also looking for a new coach. Sullivan is from Boston, played a year for the Bruins and also coached them in his first NHL coaching job. There is also that his son-in-law, Charlie McAvoy, plays for the Bruins and that Sullivan could be close to home and his new grandchild. I don’t think any of the other coaching jobs are on the same level, so it’s likely going to be between the Rangers, Bruins or Sullivan taking time off.
The fit from the Rangers side is there. He’s a coach that gets the most of out of his players/teams and he was unquestionably the coach for Team USA when they were going to the Olympics in 2022, was the coach for Team USA at the 4 Nations and will coach Team USA at the Olympics in February. If he wants to be the coach of the Rangers then he’ll be the coach of the Rangers. If it comes down to money between the Rangers and Bruins then I think the Rangers will overspend to get him. If he wants to be at home in Boston and close to his family then there might not be anything the Rangers can do, but if there is a chance for the Rangers to get him then I think they will do everything they can to make sure he is the next head coach of the Rangers.