The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed head coach Mike Sullivan to a multi-year contract extension, starting at the end of the 2023-2024 season. His new extension will conclude at the end of the 2026-2027 NHL campaign.
IN SULLY WE TRUST! 👏
We are proud to announce the three-year contract extension for Coach Sullivan.
The extension will kick in at the conclusion of the 2023.24 campaign, and run through the 2026.27 season. https://t.co/A9EnSXrUj3
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) August 30, 2022
Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan Signs Three-Year Extension
The Penguins are keeping their three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Sullivan around for three more years. After rumours of his release by the team were circulating. Sullivan led the penguins to two Stanley cups, winning in the 2016 and 2017 seasons. As a head coach with both the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh, he has recorded a 367-212-54 record. He ended the 2021-2022 season with a record of 46-25-11. He also won a Stanley Cup in 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks. Sullivan started coaching in 2002 as the head coach of the AHL’s Providence Bruins.
What This Means For The Future
Although his job security has been unstable at times because of the Penguins’ slight downfall, it now seems that they are happy with him in that position. It was a smart move by them to keep him around long-term. He has won the room over well and has a good history with big-name players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Tristan Jarry.
The Penguins may not be good for that much longer considering the majority of the stars may be gone in the next few years. However, he has proven that he can develop prospects very well, and use them efficiently. Considering that there is a growing trend of coaches not doing so, this is a must-have for a team close to rebuilding.
However, this does not mean that he is any safer. He could very well be let go by the Penguins if they happen to fall off hard in the next few years. Mainly, because the Penguins have had some trouble maintaining a relationship with star players, as Malkin almost left the team. Plus, there have been rumours of a fallout with Jarry, as Casey DeSmith has been playing well over the last few years. But for now, Sullivan is safe as the Penguins head coach.
