The timeline on the Rangers’ coaching search may have just been accelerated.
The candidate who multiple league sources believe to be team president Chris Drury’s top choice suddenly became available Monday morning, with the Pittsburgh Penguins announcing they will part ways with longtime head coach Mike Sullivan.
“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.”
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Drury has been interested in his fellow Boston University alumni for years, but the timing never lined up until now.
The Rangers fired Peter Laviolette on Apr. 19, and while Sullivan told reporters a few days prior, “My intentions are to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Dubas seemed to leave the door open.
Just over a week later, the decision has been made to let Sullivan hit the open market.
There will be multiple teams interested, but there are obvious connections to draw with Drury, who made a play for Sullivan in previous coaching searches and is expected to be aggressive in his pursuit.
There’s the obvious BU ties, plus plenty of overlap with USA Hockey. Most recently, Sullivan coached the Americans to a silver finish at this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, with Drury serving as assistant GM.
Sullivan was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 1987 NHL Draft, but elected to stay in college until 1990, when he signed with the San Jose Sharks and began an 11-year playing career.
The 57-year-old spent the previous 10 seasons on Pittsburgh’s bench − a run that began with back-to-back Stanley Cup titles but ended with three straight seasons missing the playoffs − while compiling a 409-255-89 record. But with an aging core, led by the 37-year-old Crosby, and a rebuilding roster, the two sides must have seen appeal in trying something new.
That’s good news for the Rangers.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
