The New York Rangers didn’t just hire Mike Sullivan on a whim.
This was on Drury’s mind for years and now he finally got his opportunity to strike and get his guy.
Since being hired as the Rangers president and general manager in 2021, Drury has been searching for a coach to etch their mark in Blueshirts’ history.
One of the first things Drury did upon taking over hockey operations was to fire former Rangers head coach David Quinn.
According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, Drury did some behind-the-scenes work to see if Sullivan and Rod Brind’Amour were interested in a move from their respective teams.
Rangers Officially Hire Mike Sullivan To Be Head Coach, Bringing ‘Championship-Level Presence’
Mike Sullivan will officially become the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/" target="_blank">Rangers</a>’ 38th head coach.
When Sullivan and Brind’Amour declined to join the Rangers, Drury hired Gerard Gallant.
Gallant only lasted two years with the Rangers and his predecessor, Peter Laviolette, also only lasted two seasons before he was ultimately fired as well.
While the Rangers had some success under both Gallant and Laviolette, something was missing from this team.
The Blueshirts have been lacking that necessary heart and toughness to win a Stanley Cup, which became galring evident throughout the 2024-25 campaign as the Rangers missed the playoffs.
The Rangers possess a boatload of talent, yet they haven’t been able to put all of the pieces together.
Drury seems to believe this is largely due to not having the right coach. While maybe not publicly displaying this message, Drury has delivered it through his actions, firing Quinn, Gallant, and Laviolette in just a four-year span.
Sullivan won two Stanley Cups as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He clearly knows how to win and get the best out of his players.
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Sullivan’s contract is believed to be for five years and is the highest annual salary for a coach in NHL history.
By giving him a contract of this magnitude, Drury is indicating how badly he wanted Sullivan in New York and his belief that Sullivan is the coach who will take the Rangers over the mountaintop.
Now, we’ll see if Drury is right or if Sullivan is just yet another coach to walk out the door prematurely.