Sidney Crosby’s immediate reaction to Mike Sullivan Penguins departure

The Pittsburgh Penguins and head coach Mike Sullivan officially agreed to mutually part ways, ending his 10-year run as head coach of the organization, a stint that included back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017. After the official announcement, Penguins legend Sidney Crosby addressed the move and expressed gratitude for his time playing for Sullivan.

“He did an amazing job over the last 10 years here with his preparation and commitment to winning,” Sidney Crosby said in an email, according to Chris Johnston and Josh Yohe of The Athletic. “Personally, he pushed me to be better everyday, and I learned a lot from him. We shared some great memories together, and I am grateful for his time here and everything he did for us.”

Sullivan ends his Penguins tenure with a 409-255 record, a very successful run, and now Kyle Dubas will move in a new direction as he tries to re-tool the roster to compete in the future. The Penguins disappointed and missed the playoffs this season, so it is a natural time to make a transition at head coach.

As the Penguins and Crosby look to rebound with a new coach next season, Sullivan should be a hot commodity on the coaching market this offseason, if he wants to coach next year. Two teams that stick out as top contenders are the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Sullivan coached the Bruins in the 2003-04 and 2005-06 seasons before being fired by the organization.

Both the Rangers and Bruins should be able to compete for Sullivan financially as well. It will be interesting to see if he lands with one of the two teams. The general consensus seems to be that while Sullivan’s time in Pittsburgh has run its course, he is still a strong coach, as evidenced by his role as the head coach of Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-off.