Mike Sullivan – Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
On April 28, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they mutually parted ways with head coach Mike Sullivan. As the winningest coach in franchise history, it’s a monumental day for the organization, which will begin its search for a new leader for the first time since 2015.
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Considering how long Sullivan has guided the Penguins, his decade-long run behind the bench is one of the more successful tenures in NHL history. Today, we will reflect on Sullivan’s tenure and compare these numbers to those of other coaching legends.
Before being hired by Pittsburgh in 2015-16, Sullivan was the head coach of his hometown Boston Bruins, compiling a record of 70-56-15-23 in 164 games, with a 3-4 playoff record.
After taking over the Penguins, Sullivan helped the club achieve a 33-16-5 record in 54 games, culminating in a Stanley Cup victory in June 2016. During his first full season, the team repeated as champions, winning in June 2017.
‘I Started To Think That It May Just Be Time’: Takeaways From Kyle Dubas’s Press Conference Regarding Departure Of Mike Sullivan
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Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas shook the hockey world when he announced that head coach Mike Sullivan would not be returning to coach the Penguins in 2025-26.
From 2016 to 2022, Sullivan and the Penguins qualified for the playoffs, but missed the postseason in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh did not have a losing season until the 2024-25 season, when they finished with a record of 34-36-12.
During his time in Pittsburgh, Sullivan achieved the following milestones:
- He is the only head coach to guide the Penguins to two Stanley Cup titles, one more championship than Bob Johnson (1991), Scotty Bowman (1992), and Dan Bylsma (2009).
- Sullivan is the only head coach to win more than 300 and 400 games (429) with the franchise, breaking Bylsma’s record of 252.
- He overtook the Penguins’ record for most losses (255) in 2024-25, breaking Eddie Johnston’s record of 224.
- Sullivan compiled 907 points in the regular season, almost doubling Bylsma’s 536, who formerly held the record.
- His .602 PTS% ranks third behind Bylsma (.668) and Bowman (.628).
- Sullivan (82) broke Bylsman’s playoff games coached record (78) in 2022, and with a win on May 9, 2022, became the all-time leader in postseason wins with 44. Following a Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers that same playoff year, he overtook the loss record with 38.
- He ranks second all-time in playoff win percentage at .537, trailing Bylsma’s .551 record.
- Sullivan is the only head coach in Pittsburgh history to coach more than seven seasons, surpassing Johnston (seven) and Bylsma (six).
- He is one of only four coaches never to record a tie with the Penguins, joining Bylsma, Michel Therrien, and Mike Johnston.
- Sullivan is one of three Pittsburgh coaches to secure a 50-win campaign, following Bowman (56 – 1993) and Bylsma (51 – 2012, 2014).
- The Penguins never lost more than 36 games in a single season under Sullivan’s guidance.
BREAKING: Penguins And Head Coach Mike Sullivan Mutually Part Ways
BREAKING: Penguins And Head Coach Mike Sullivan Mutually Part Ways After nearly 10 years, the
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Pittsburgh Penguins will have a new voice behind the bench for the 2025-26 season.
- Despite owning the franchise’s playoff wins record, Sullivan helped the Penguins win just nine postseason series, with four in 2016 and 2017 and just one in 2018.
- Sullivan ranks 15th in NHL history for most wins with a single franchise (409). Additionally, he is one of just 15 head coaches to have recorded 400 wins with a single team.
- He ranks 17th overall, with 753 games behind the bench for one club, the last person to join the 750-game club.
- Captain Sidney Crosby scored 321 goals, 504 assists, and 825 points with Sullivan behind the bench, which ranks sixth in the NHL during this time.
- According to statistics available at NHL.com, 144 skaters dressed with the Penguins from Nov. 19, 2015, to Apr. 17, 2025.
- During Sullivan’s tenure, 13 goalies dressed for Pittsburgh, led by Tristan Jarry, who went 152-97-31 in 293 games.
At just 57 and coming off a Silver Medal finish at the 4 Nations Face-off, Sullivan shouldn’t be unemployed for long, with several teams potentially interested in hiring a multi-time Stanley Cup winner.
