It’s been widely assumed, for years now, that if he ever became available, Mike Sullivan would be Chris Drury’s undisputed No. 1 choice to be the next Rangers head coach.
Two years ago, when Drury, the Rangers’ president and general manager, was last looking to hire a coach, it was widely reported that Sullivan would have been the choice, if he somehow became available. But the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sullivan’s employer at the time, held on to him, and Drury ended up hiring Peter Laviolette.
Well, Sullivan is available now. On Monday, the Penguins, who have missed the playoffs for the last three seasons, announced they were parting ways with the 57-year-old, their all-time leader in coaching wins, and the man who guided them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.
In the statement by the Penguins announcing Sullivan’s departure, Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas, after thanking Sullivan and saying he “will forever be a part of Penguins history,’’ said, “This was a decision that was [not] taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.’’
So with Drury having fired Laviolette 10 days ago, after the Rangers missed the playoffs, he now has the opportunity to hire his dream coach candidate, the one he wanted two years ago but couldn’t have.
If he can get his man this time around, this would a massive win for Drury and would set him up for a huge summer as he tries to retool the Rangers’ roster and get the Blueshirts back on track to be a Stanley Cup contender next season.
Sullivan was no doubt always Plan A for Drury, as soon as Laviolette was cut loose. The Plan B options probably include names such as Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet, maybe former Rangers coach John Tortorella, and possibly former Chicago coach Joel Quenneville, among other, less familiar ones.
But Sullivan towers over every other potential candidate there is for Drury and the Rangers. A former Rangers draft pick (in 1987) who never played for them but had an 11-year career in the NHL, Sullivan was an assistant coach with the Rangers under Tortorella from 2009-13. He went with Tortorella to coach the Canucks, got fired there, and a year later took a job coaching the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He ascended to the Penguins job a few months later and won the Cup that season and the next.
Sullivan stood behind the Pittsburgh bench for 10 years, posting a record of 409-259-89. He coached the U.S. team for the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament this season, where he coached four Rangers players – Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller. Sullivan would be the strong, credible personality behind the bench that a veteran team such as the Rangers probably needs to have if it is going to commit to playing better defense and the more direct offense the team has been unable to sustain over the past four seasons.
As ideal as it sounds for the Rangers, though, it doesn’t figure to be a done deal. Boston, which also missed the playoffs this season, will want Sullivan, too, and they have a couple of things in their favor. For one, Sullivan is a Massachusetts guy, and he coached the Bruins for two seasons (2003-05) at the beginning of his coaching career. For another, his son-in-law, defenseman and Long Beach native Charlie McAvoy, plays for the Bruins. So that might be a draw, as well.
No doubt every team that’s currently looking for a coach – Philadelphia, Chicago, Anaheim and Seattle – will have interest, too, but the Rangers should be very, very high on Sullivan’s list of desirable options. Drury and the Rangers will do everything to make themselves No. 1.
