Former Penguins coach officially lands new job

The New York Rangers have officially hired former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan as their next head coach.

New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury made the official announcement on Friday.

“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Drury said. “Given his numerous accomplishments throughout his coaching career – including two Stanley Cups and leading Team USA at the international level – Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. I’ve gotten to know Mike very well over the years, including as teammates in the 1997 World Championships, when he coached me as a player in New York and through our shared time working together with USA Hockey. As we began this process and Mike became an available option for us to speak with, it was immediately clear that he was the best coach to lead our team.”

ESPN is reporting that Sullivan’s deal is for five years and will make him the highest paid coach in NHL history.

Sullivan and the Penguins officially parted ways just three days ago after the team missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

The 57-year-old served as Pittsburgh’s head coach for ten seasons, leading the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Under his watch, Sullivan piled up 409 wins, making him the Penguins’ all-time wins leader. He is just the 14th coach in NHL history to win 400 games with one team.