“My main focus is trying to do what I do every day, applying a certain process I’m comfortable with to win games. I’ll bring everything I can to the table every day to help this team win until such time when someone tells me otherwise,” Mike Sullivan said a few months back. The head coach, however, seems to be reaching the end of his run with the Pittsburgh Penguins after a tumultuous decade.

Mike Sullivan has been the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins since December 12, 2015, and it’s really been a game-changer for the NHL team. Sullivan stepped in midseason and quickly turned things around, leading the team to win consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. He became the first American-born head coach to win multiple Stanley Cups and the first in Penguins history to clinch back-to-back titles. Pretty impressive, right?

With him at the helm, the Penguins have always been in the mix, and Sullivan made a name for himself as the winningest coach in the team’s history, racking up more than 400 wins. Sullivan built a solid partnership with team captain Sidney Crosby during his time here. They’ve really built a culture that’s all about excellence and resilience. Crosby, with Sullivan’s support, cemented his legacy. He also signed a two-year extension to stay with the Penguins until the 2026-27 season.

Their teamwork has really helped keep the Penguins as a constant force in the NHL. So, making this decision wasn’t easy for General Manager Kyle Dubas. He recognized Sullivan’s impact on the franchise, saying, “On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade.”

For sure, the Penguins will need some time to process this monumental shift. Aside from what he’s achieved in the NHL, people have really noticed Sullivan’s coaching skills on the international scene. He was named the head coach for the U.S. men’s hockey team for the 2025 Four Nations Face-Off. But he will also carry his role to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. This choice really highlights his standing as one of the top coaches in the game, someone who can guide teams to victory at the highest levels of competition. So, just how rough was the Penguins’ season this year that brought about such a big change?

The season that led the Pittsburgh Penguins to part ways with Mike Sullivan

This season has really changed things for the Pittsburgh Penguins, even though they’ve won two Stanley Cups with Mike Sullivan at the helm. They wrapped up the 2024-25 NHL season with a record of 34-36-12, landing in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division and missing the playoffs for the third year in a row.

Rickard Rakell was the team’s top scorer with 35 goals, and captain Sidney Crosby led in points with a total of 91, which included 33 goals and 58 assists. The season wrapped up with a positive tone following a 5-2 win against the Washington Capitals, thanks to goals from Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Philip Tomasino.

Given the poor performance, the franchise had to make the difficult decision to part ways with Sullivan. Since they’re going through a complete rebuild, we can expect to see a lot of changes with the Penguins. Who knows, they might even make some tough calls down the line.