New York Rangers Hire Mike Sullivan as Head Coach

The New York Rangers hired two-time Stanley Cup champion Mike Sullivan. He coached the Pittsburgh Penguins for 10 seasons. He brought the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2015 and 2016. He will now take on the New York Rangers team that finished seventh in the Eastern Conference this season and missed the playoffs.

New York Rangers Hire Mike Sullivan

Mike Sullivan’s deal is for five years and will make him the highest paid coach in NHL history, sources told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Mike Babcock previously made the most at $6.25 million annually when he coached the Maple Leafs.

New York Rangers General Manager Chris Drury announced Friday “Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL, Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. … As we began this process and Mike became an available option for us to speak with, it was immediately clear that he was the best coach to lead our team.”

Sullivan replaced Peter Laviolette. He was fired after the Rangers missed the playoffs following a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. The Rangers are looking for a new culture and attitude for next season under Sullivan’s winning mentality. Sullivan is no stranger to the Rangers organization. He was an assistant coach back in 2009-2013 season under John Tortorella. 

Final Thoughts

Mike Sullivan is the sixth-winningest among active coaches in the NHL, behind Paul Maurice, Lindy Ruff, Jon Cooper, Pete DeBoer, and Todd McLellan. Now that Sullivan has been hired, that leaves seven head coaching vacancies around the NHL.