The Pittsburgh Penguins have promoted coach Todd Reirden.
Todd Reirden has been promoted to associate coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins and has signed a two-year contract extension. Reirden is entering his third season since returning to the Penguins organization in 2020.
Reirden's first stint as the Penguins assistant coach began in 2010 and ran through the 2013-14 season. After that year, the Penguins cleaned house on the coaching staff, sending Reirden to the Washington Capitals.
The Penguins re-hired Reirden after he was let go as head coach of the Capitals following the 2019-20 season. Since returning, Reirden has been in charge of the Penguin's defense and power play.
Pittsburgh's power play saw a four percent bump in converting chances the first year Reirden returned to the organization. The Penguins dipped in power play efficiency to 20.2 percent but were without star players Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby for extended stretches last season.
Reirden's aggressive defensive style plays to the strengths of Penguins star defenseman Kris Letang, helping him to a career year in 2021-22. Reirden preaches smart and aggressive pinches from his blue liners in an attempt to get as much offensive production from the back end as possible.\
Hextall announced the move today via PittsburghPenguins.com and had complimentary things to say about his associate coach. "Todd plays an important role on our coaching staff, "said Hextall. "He's had a proven impact on the defensemen and contributes to the coaching staff as a whole with his wealth of knowledge from over a decade as an NHL coach."
That impact has led to the turnaround of NHL defensemen such as Cody Ceci and Mike Matheson, and the Penguins hope to see the same effect on Jeff Petry and Ty Smith next season.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins