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With the NHL offseason being in full swing for many teams, the coaching carousel continued to spin Monday with the fourth head coach firing.
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that the franchise was parting ways with Mike Sullivan after 10 seasons. The Penguins qualified for the postseason in seven of those seasons, including winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. However, Pittsburgh failed to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past three seasons, which prompted the organization to make a change behind the bench.
“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,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons.”
“He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. This was not a decision that was 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.”
The Penguins will begin conducting a coaching search immediately.
Last week, the Seattle Kraken announced they were moving on from Dan Bylsma after one season as head coach. The Kraken went 35-41-6 in Bylsma’s lone season, finishing seventh in the Pacific Division with 76 points. Seattle will now look for their third coach in the franchise’s short history, as they decided Bylsma’s lone season with the Kraken was not encouraging enough to warrant a return for 2025-26.
“We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he brought to our organization over the past four years at the NHL and AHL levels,” said Kraken GM Ron Francis. “After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we’ve made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench.”
After a disappointing season that ended with the team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021, the New York Rangers fired Peter Laviolette earlier this month. In his two seasons behind the Rangers bench, Laviolette led the team to an overall record of 94-59-11. In 2024, New York went to the Eastern Conference Final under Laviolette’s watch.
Coming into 2024-25, the Rangers were expected to contend for the Stanley Cup again, but the wheels fell off after a hot start. Key players turned in underwhelming seasons, and the Rangers couldn’t ever find any consistency.
In the team’s announcement, general manager Chris Drury thanked Laviolette and assistant coach Phil Housley for their service to the team.
“Peter is first class all the way, both professionally and personally, and I am truly grateful for his passion and dedication to the Rangers in his time as head coach,” Drury said in a statement.
Shortly before the Rangers fired Laviolette, the Anaheim Ducks made the first move of the offseason coaching carousel, firing Greg Cronin after two seasons.
In his first campaign behind the Ducks bench, Cronin led the team to a 27-50-5 record, which was good for seventh in the Pacific Division. In 2024-25, Anaheim did show improvement in the win column, going 35-37-10, but the team still finished sixth in the division and 16 points out of a playoff spot.
In a statement, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said firing Cronin was a tough decision, but he felt the team “needed a change in direction and a new voice.” As Anaheim begins its search fro a new coach, the team will likely look for someone who can get the young core to take the leap into playoff contention.
As teams put a bow on the 2024-25 season, more coaching changes will be on the way, so stay tuned to CBS Sports to keep up with all the movement.
TeamFormer coachNew coachAnaheim Ducks
Greg Cronin
TBD
New York Rangers
Peter Laviolette
TBD
Seattle Kraken
Dan Bylsma
TBD
