The Pittsburgh Penguins franchise has not been in this position for 10 years.
Even then, having a coach with Mike Sullivan’s NHL experience on the bench made him a slam dunk hire to lead the Penguins, who promoted him from the club’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton affiliate.
Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas announced the team was parting ways with Sullivan on Monday, and he hopes to have a replacement in place by June.
It’s a job that will have some big shoes to fill. Sullivan is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who became the Penguins’ all-time winningest coach at 409-255-89.
Others to have held the spot over the past two decades include Eddie Olczyk (31-64-8 from 2004-06), Michael Therrien (135-105-32 from 2006-09), Dan Bylsma (252-117-32 from 2009-14) and Mike Johnston (58-37-15 from 2015-16).
Here’s a look at some candidates the Penguins may consider:
The veterans
Joel Quenneville: The three-time Stanley Cup-winning head coach is the most decorated on the free agent coaching market. He interviewed with Anaheim this weekend, according to reports. The 66-year-old coach is second in all-time wins with 969 behind only Scotty Bowman (1,244). He has coached St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and Florida and has a career winning percentage of .475. He resigned from the Panthers’ bench during the 2021 season in the wake of the Blackhawks’ sexual assault scandal. The investigation found he did not properly respond after learning about allegations against a team staff member. He was suspended by the NHL through July 2024.
Peter Laviolette: Laviolette was fired by the New York Rangers earlier this month after the team fell short of the postseason following a Presidents’ Trophy-winning 2023-24 campaign. The 60-year-old coach has 846 wins, good for seventh all-time. He also had coaching stints with the Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, Predators and Capitals. He won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2005-06. Laviolette has experience with the Penguins’ ECHL affiliate, serving as the Wheeling Nailers’ head coach in 1997-98. He is part of the team’s Hall of Fame.
John Tortorella: Another experienced NHL coach with a Stanley Cup on his resume, Tortorella is ninth in all-time coaching victories with 770. His Flyers’ tenure recently ended after he was fired March 27 as Philly finished last in the Metropolitan Division. He also had coaching stints with the Rangers, Lightning, Canucks and Blue Jackets, leading Tampa Bay to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship. He is a two-time Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL’s top coach.
Familiar faces
Rick Tocchet: Tocchet is currently head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, but general manager Jim Rutherford said last week that the team won’t exercise its option, instead offering him a new contract. He led the Canucks to 50 wins and 109 points in 2023-24, but they missed the playoffs this season. Tocchet was one of Sullivan’s assistant coaches during the back-to-back Stanley Cup years who also was a head coach for the Lightning and defunct Arizona Coyotes. His career record is 286-265-87 over parts of nine seasons.
David Quinn: Quinn spent the 2024-25 season as Sullivan’s assistant coach. He was a teammate of Sullivan’s at Boston University. Quinn has served as a head coach with the Rangers and Sharks and also the U.S. men’s national team. He has a career record of 137-185-50.
Mike Vellucci: Another of Sullivan’s assistant coaches, Velluci has been with the Penguins since 2019. He coached the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for one season after previously leading the Charlotte Checkers to the AHL Calder Cup in 2018-19. Dubas said Vellucci is free to seek other employment but also promised him an interview to be retained, more likely in an assistant role.
The up-and-comer
David Carle: At age 35, Carle could be an intriguing option to lead the Penguins. He’s currently the head coach at Denver University, where he has a .694 winning percentage over seven seasons, including two national championships and two other trips to the Frozen Four. He also has been selected to lead the U.S. team at the 2025 World Junior Championship after leading the U.S. to gold at the event in 2024.
Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports
