NHL coach shuts down rumors about Rangers head coaching vacancy


The New York Rangers are searching for a new head coach after mutually agreeing to part ways with Gerard Gallant earlier this month in the wake of a disappointing first-round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

While fans continue to speculate over whom the organization will pick next, one NHL coach has already removed his name from the mix. 

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan on the bench

Ty Hennes, Mike Vellucci, Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins look on against the New York Rangers at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told the New York Post on Wednesday that he has no intention of leaving the organization despite a brutal season that saw the Penguins miss the playoffs for the first time in 17 years.

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“No, I am under contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, here for the long haul,” he told the outlet.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan looks on during a practice before the Winter Classic

Head coach Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on during practice for the NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 1, 2023, in Boston. (Ben Jackson/NHLI via Getty Images)

Sullivan, who played in the NHL for more than a decade, first joined the Penguins in 2015. He holds the record for the most wins in team history and led the franchise to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.

In August, he signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him coaching in Pittsburgh through the 2026-2027 season. 

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But the Penguins saw sweeping changes after this past season, which included the firings of general manager Ron Hextall and director of hockey operations Brian Burke, that may have sparked the rumors about Sullivan.

As it stands, the Rangers are still searching for a replacement for Gallant.

Rangers head coach Gerand Gallant on the bench

Head coach Gerard Gallant of the New York Rangers looks on against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden on January 12, 2023, in New York City. (Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)

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The longtime NHL head coach was fired after two seasons in New York. In 2022, he led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

He was fired less than a week after the Rangers blew a 2-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils in the first round.

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