Pittsburgh Penguins sign Mike Sullivan through 2026-27.
Mike Sullivan made his mark on the Pittsburgh Penguins organization immediately after being named head coach in December 2015. Two Stanley Cups and 341 wins later, the Boston area native is considered one of the best coaches the NHL has to offer.
Because of that fact, the Penguins extended Sullivan for three more seasons, despite two years remaining on his current contract. That extension ensures that Sullivan will likely remain the head coach for the remainder of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s career.
Sullivan spoke with the media after the news of his extension with the Penguins. “It’s an honor to coach this team,” Sullivan said. “To be able to continue to journey with these players and the new ownership group and the management team, it just means the world.”
Over his first six seasons, Sullivan has made a name for himself by preaching fast and free flowing hockey, leading to six straight playoff appearances. Last season, he broke both the regular season and postseason win records in Penguins franchise history. He was also slated to coach the United States Men’s Olympic team before the NHL withdrew from the event.
His success has made him one of the longest tenured head coaches in the NHL, and he has become a pseudo-member of the Penguins core group, which includes Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Two of which were also re-signed to multi-year extensions this summer.
Sullivan spoke on the “big three” of the Penguins and reassured reporters that the window is not closed on another championship run. He also responded to those that worry about the Penguins aging roster. “We’re getting a bit older, but we’re not old.”
According to Rob Rossi of The Athletic, the coaching staff will begin meetings as early as tomorrow to begin preparing for the season, his eighth as Penguins head coach. Penguins training camp opens on September 22nd, but players have already started informal training at the UPMC Lemieux Complex in Cranberry.
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