Penguins' Sullivan is One of Eight American-born NHL Head Coaches

Pittsburgh Penguins' Mike Sullivan is the second longest-tenured bench boss in the NHL. But he is also just one of eight American-born head coaches.

Mike Sullivan has been head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins since Dec. 12, 2015, and is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the club.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, he is the second-longest tenured head coach in the NHL, just two years behind Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a multi-time Stanley Cup winner.

Sullivan is from Marshfield, Massachusetts, and will be the head coach of Team USA at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-off in February. He is one of eight American-born head coaches in the league today.

American-born head coaches represent 25% of the league's demographics, a by-product of USA Hockey's successes in the NCAA, AHL, and minor hockey over the past couple of decades.

Here's a look at bench bosses from the United States and their hire date with their current teams:

John Tortorella (Philadelphia Flyers) June 17, 2022
Derek Lalonde (Detroit Red Wings) June 30, 2022
Greg Cronin (Anaheim Ducks) June 5, 2023
Peter Laviolette (New York Rangers) June 13, 2023
John Hynes (Minnesota Wild) Nov. 27, 2023
Dan Bylsma (Seattle Kraken) May 28, 2024
Ryan Warsofsky (San Jose Sharks) June 13, 2024

Among American-born head coaches in NHL history, Sullivan ranks third behind Laviolette (807 wins) and Tortorella (742 wins) with 445.

Overall, the 56-year-old ranks 36th all-time and could surpass Brian Sutter (451), Roger Neilson (460), and Bob Hartley (463) this season. He'd need 30 wins to catch Randy Carlyle (475).