Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan will be behind the bench for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Sullivan was the team’s assistant coach during the 2006 Olympics in Turin and for the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
Penguins’ Sullivan to be Head Coach for Team USA
Sullivan played 11 seasons in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and the Arizona Coyotes. During his career, the Massachusetts-born forward played in 709 games scoring 54 goals and 82 assists for 136 points.
Thereafter Sullivan turned his attention to coaching. His lengthy resume behind the bench began in 2002 as the head coach of the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Midway through his first season in the minors, Sullivan became an assistant coach for the Bruins. The following season in 2003 he was promoted to the team’s head coach’s position and remained there until the end of the 2005-06 season.
Between a few short sabbaticals, Sullivan continued to coach around the NHL. Though for the next 10 years, he would graft as an assistant. First, he spent time with a bottoming out Tampa Bay Lightning outfit in 2007-08 before landing another gig with the New York Rangers. From 2009 to 2013, he coached a Blueshirts team that was gathering momentum towards their 2014 Stanley Cup Finals run. His last assistant’s role came in 2013-14 with the Vancouver Canucks.
Starting the 2015-16 season, Mike Sullivan started out as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach in the AHL. After 24 games and a 19-5-0 record, he then got the opportunity to be the head coach of their NHL affiliate, the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would go on to lead the team to not one, but two Stanley Cup-winning seasons. Following his back-to-back, he has been a key face for the Penguins franchise despite not making a conference finals appearance since 2017.
In his NHL head coaching career, Sullivan holds a 321-187-15(ties)-66 record in 589 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he has a .537 win rate in 82 games.
What Mike Sullivan Brings to Team USA at the Olympics
All things considered, Sullivan brings a winning pedigree. His previous experience with Team USA, including the 2006 Winter games and 2016’s World Cup of Hockey, should help the team make a deep, medal contending run this winter. What’s more, on top of his previous international experience, his impressive coaching resume should help him to lead a well-run bench full of the country’s best hockey talent.
