PITTSBURGH — The Penguins on Tuesday signed Mike Sullivan to a three-year contract extension, locking down the franchise's most accomplished coach and one of the league's most respected bench bosses for years to come.
The extension begins at the end of the 2023-24 season. Sullivan is now under contract through 2026-27.
"Mike is one of the top coaches in the National Hockey League and it was important for us to have him signed long term," general manager Ron Hextall said in a statement. "He is a great leader that finds success through communication, honesty and accountability. We know that Sully is committed to continuing a winning culture here in Pittsburgh."
Sullivan, who was initially hired as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach, was promoted to the NHL club on Dec. 12, 2015. Inheriting an underperforming group of star players, Sullivan pushed the right buttons to produce back-to-back Stanley Cup parades within his first 18 months on the job.
With a no-nonsense approach and a strong voice of leadership, he consistently gets the most out of younger or unproven players. This has helped the club weather injuries to their biggest names and best players. At the same time, he has built trust with a veteran-laden core to help players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang continue to write their stories.
After etching his name on the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh, Sullivan scrawled his name in the franchise's history books. He leads the organization with 297 wins in black and gold and is the only coach to win the Cup twice as the Penguins' head man.
That said, NHL coaches are employed in one of the world's most volatile businesses. Plenty of respected and accomplished coaches found themselves without work this offseason. It was worth wondering, if only briefly, how the new ownership team, Fenway Sports Group, would feel about the Penguins losing in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
The signing emphatically throws the ownership group's support behind the native of Marshfield, Mass.
"This is a wonderful day for the entire organization with Mike committing to remain as head coach for the long term with the Penguins," Fenway Sports Group principal owner John Henry said in a statement. "He has clearly demonstrated what an effective leader he is and it's evident how well players respond to his philosophy and work ethic night after night, month after month."
The latest move continues what's been an offseason defined by continuity — on the ice and behind the bench.
Malkin inked a four-year extension. Letang, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell all signed on for six more seasons. Additionally, assistant coaches Todd Reirden and Mike Vellucci inked two-year extensions after both interviewed elsewhere for head coaching positions.
