Breaking: Mike Sullivan OUT as Penguins Coach

After 10 years at the helm of the Pittsburgh Penguins and two Stanley Cup titles, head coach Mike Sullivan and the team have decided to part ways.

The Penguins are parting ways with head coach Mike Sullivan, the team announced pic.twitter.com/hId7YJQOl9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2025

GM Kyle Dubas released a statement, thanking him for his time with the Pens:

“I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” said Dubas. “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.”

Although he was seen as being on thin ice as the season came to a close, the move still comes as a bit of a surprise, after Sullivan said after the season that he intended to coach the Penguins in 2025-26. In addition, Dubas had said at his year-end press conference one week earlier that he expected Sullivan to return as coach.

Mike Sullivan and Penguins part ways

The 57-year-old coach led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017, and had a 409-255-89 record for a .602 points percentage in his decade with the Pens. His 409 victories make him the team's all-time wins leader.

The Penguins finished the 2024-25 regular season at 34-36-12 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year. They haven't won a playoff series in seven years and have just one series victory since winning their last Cup in 2017.

There are now seven head coaching vacancies across the NHL.