Penguins coach Mike Sullivan responds to firing rumors

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has been in the firing conversation, giving the Penguins performance to start the season. Regardless of the shaky start, he remains optimistic about his job security for the foreseeable future.

“I’m not concerned about it, no,” Sullivan said, according to The Athletic’s Josh Yohe. “I’m well aware of what I signed up for. It’s the nature of the business. My main focus is trying to do what I do every day, applying a certain process I’m comfortable with to win games. I’ll bring everything I can to the table every day to help this team win until such time when someone tells me otherwise.”

Questions have circled the team since the season began and the continuity. Even Penguins center Evgeni Malkin was emotional about a rumored breakdown of the team. The Penguins are last in the Metropolitan Division at 7-11-4. After making the playoffs for 16 straight seasons, they’ve missed the playoffs the last two seasons. For Sullivan, he’s seen the success of the franchise firsthand.

Mike Sullivan understands how the Penguins need to win

After taking over for Mike Johnston in December 2015, he won two consecutive Stanley Cup Championships. The trio of Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, and Malkin established themselves as elite before Sullivan’s arrival. Sullivan signed a three-year extension with the Penguins in 2022 and is under contract through the 2026-27 campaign. The 56-year-old has amassed a 382-229-81 record over 10 seasons in Pittsburgh.

With one of the older lineups in the NHL, Sullivan knows that they might have more days behind them than in front of them. Regardless, he remains determined to find a way to maximize the talent and experience he has.

“I’m invested in the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Sullivan said via The Score. “I care very, very deeply about this organization, I care deeply about the group of guys who have been in that locker room for a very long time. I love this organization with all of my soul. This organization and so many people associated with it have changed my life in so many ways. And so, for me, the challenge of trying to move this team forward and transition this team, it’s a different kind of challenge, but it’s one that I am welcoming.”

There’s not much time Sullivan might have to turn the roster around. After all, Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was recently fired, and it put a stamp on organizations not wanting to wait. Considering that the Penguins have three potential Hall-of-Famers on the team if they don’t rack up wins, Sullivan might be the next head coach out the door.