Bruins Targeting Former Penguins HC

It didn’t take long for connections to grow between the Boston Bruins and former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. Not even 24 hours after the Penguins fired Sullivan, the Bruins are already targeting him for their head coaching job.

According to a source with RG, the Bruins have already put the wheels in motion that they would like to make Sullivan their next bench boss.

“They’ve already reached out,” the source told RG. “But as you might expect, he needs to decompress a bit. I was told, though, he has immediately moved straight to the top of their list and they would love to start talking with him ASAP.”

While the Bruins are willing to be patient and let Sullivan clear his head as much as he needs, talks between the two parties could start very soon.

“If he’s ready, I would think they’re talking to each other by Wednesday,” the source said to RG. “Friday at the latest."

The Penguins weren’t Sullivan’s first head coaching post in the NHL, having been the Bruins bench boss for two seasons, bookending the 2004-05 lockout. From 2003 to 2006, Sullivan coached 164 games with the Bruins, putting up a 70-56-15-7 record.

Thanks to Sullivan’s decade of success with the Penguins, Sullivan quickly became the most coveted free agent coach in the NHL. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and already slated to be Team USA’s head coach at the upcoming Winter Olympics, Sullivan will have no shortage of opportunities to continue working.

The Bruins just hope they can come out on top of the Sullivan sweepstakes, especially with some familiar competition. The New York Rangers are also looking to fill a head coaching role, and Sullivan was an assistant there between 2009 and 2013.

“He’s the most coveted coach out there, and he’s likely about to become the highest-paid coach in the NHL,” the source said to RG. “You know the Rangers are in on him and they’ll have no issues backing up the Brinks truck for him, so if the Bruins really want him, they know they need to act fast.”

Outside of the Bruins and Rangers, teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, and Philadelphia Flyers with other spots possibly opening soon. Sullivan also has a brief history with the Blackhawks as a development coach between 2014 and 2015.

Sullivan will have no shortage of options and plenty of familiar ones to pick from. A native of Massachusetts, the Bruins hope the local ties can give them an edge in the race.