Five teams inquire about ex-Penguins coach Sullivan
Published
Mike Sullivan might not be out of a job for long.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that five teams have already inquired about the veteran head coach's services.
Sullivan, 57, mutually parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after 10 NHL seasons.
LeBrun notes that there is varying levels of interest among the five times with some simply curious, while others are very serious.
A native of Marshfield, MA, Sullivan became the head coach of the Boston Bruins in 2003, less than 18 after beginning his coaching career. He was fired by the team after two seasons.
Following stints on the benches of the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, Sullivan was named head coach of the Pens' American Hockey League-affiliate Wilkes-Barre Penguins in the fall of 2015. He was promoted to head coach of the Pens that December upon the firing of Mike Johnston.
In June of 2016, Sullivan became the sixth coach in NHL history to lead his team to a Stanley Cup triumph after a midseason hire. The Penguins repeated as Stanley Cup champions in 2017 with Sullivan becoming the only American-born coach to win multiple titles in league history.
He leaves the Penguins as the team's all-time winningest coach with 409 regular-season victories.
A centre as a player, Sullivan appeared in 709 career games with the San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes from 1991 to 2002. He had 54 goals and 82 assists.