Mike Sullivan opens up about his future as Penguins HC

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Mike Sullivan opens up about his future as Penguins head coach

Originally posted on Hockey Unplugged | Last updated Mar 20, 2025 8:25 AM ET

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has been facing increased scrutiny in recent years, and he is speaking out about his future behind the Pittsburgh bench.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the last two seasons running, and are in danger of missing for a third-straight year. It would mark the longest playoff drought of Sidney Crosby's career if they don't ultimately get in.

The calls for firing head coach Mike Sullivan, who has been behind the Pittsburgh bench for nearly a decade, have been growing louder in recent years from frustrated fans, despite his pedigree.

But as Sullivan himself said, he's not going anywhere..

"I don't even think about it. I have incredible loyalty to this organization. I'm grateful for the opportunity to coach this team. It's been a privilege to coach this team, to be a part of this organization. I have a certain loyalty to all of the people who are a part of it here.This is an organization that has enjoyed its share of success. Lately, we've hit some bumps in the road. But that doesn't deter me from wanting to do my job. Just because it gets hard, that doesn't make you want to quit. Where we are as an organization, I don't think it's caught anybody by surprise. It's an inevitable evolution. We're doing everything in our power to try and navigate this as best we can, to be as competitive as we can as quickly as possible. And all I want is to help this organization win."

Does Sullivan hear the criticism? Of course.