Nov 30, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (rear) reacts on the bench against the Calgary Flames during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Report: Rangers Nearing Deal With Mike Sullivan

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated May 1, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The New York Rangers are closing in fast on Mike Sullivan as their new head coach. Just hours after reports emerged that the organization zeroed in on Sullivan to be the next coach, ESPN's Emily Kaplan dropped another bombshell.

Kaplan reported that the Rangers are in advanced contract talks, according to multiple sources both her and Kevin Weekes were in conversation with. Furthermore, the supposed contract is setting up to be one of the richest ones signed by a coach in NHL history.

"The New York Rangers are in advanced contract talks to name Mike Sullivan head coach, sources told @KevinWeekes & me," she wrote. "It is expected to be one of the richest coaching contracts in NHL history."

The New York Rangers are in advanced contract talks to name Mike Sullivan head coach, sources told @KevinWeekes & me. It is expected to be one of the richest coaching contracts in NHL history.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) May 1, 2025

The update is the next step in the Rangers' pursuit of Sullivan as the organization's 38th head coach. The bit about the richest coaching contract is especially interesting. Sullivan was already among the highest paid coaches in the NHL when he was employed by the Pittsburgh Penguins. According to Front Line Sports, he and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper were the only ones in the NHL to make a salary above $5 million. So, it stand to reason that whatever the Rangers are offering will exceed what Sullivan was making in Pittsburgh.

If the Rangers and Sullivan do come to terms, New York will land one of the top coaches in the NHL. Sullivan exits the Penguins' organization as the winningest coach in team history and the only coach to lead the team to multiple Stanley Cup championships. Coming off a year where the Rangers missed the postseason and failed to live up to expectations, bringing in a coach of Sullivan's caliber could be the exact move needed to return New York to contention.

This would also mark a homecoming of sorts for Sullivan. Before joining the Penguins' organization, he was an assistant coach with the Rangers under John Tortorella. Now, he is on the verge of having the chance to run that same team his way in 2025.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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