New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has named Mike Sullivan the 38th Head Coach in franchise history.
“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Drury said. “Given his numerous accomplishments throughout his coaching career – including two Stanley Cups and leading Team USA at the international level – Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. I’ve gotten to know Mike very well over the years, including as teammates in the 1997 World Championships, when he coached me as a player in New York and through our shared time working together with USA Hockey. As we began this process and Mike became an available option for us to speak with, it was immediately clear that he was the best coach to lead our team.”
“I would like to welcome Mike back to the Rangers organization,” said James L. Dolan, MSG Executive Chairman and CEO. “Mike’s track record and success in the NHL and internationally speaks for itself, and I look forward to seeing him behind the Rangers bench.”
Sullivan has posted a 479-311-15-112 (W-L-T-OTL) record in 917 games as head coach with the Boston Bruins (2003-04 – 2005-06) and Pittsburgh Penguins (2015-16 – 2024-25). During his tenure with the Penguins, he led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2015-16 and 2016-17, and in the process, he became just the second head coach in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup in each of his first two seasons with a team. Sullivan is also the only American-born head coach in NHL history who has won the Stanley Cup multiple times.
During Sullivan’s tenure with the Penguins, the team posted a 409-255-89 record in 753 regular season games. He helped Pittsburgh reach the postseason in each of his first seven seasons behind the Penguins’ bench, and the Penguins posted a 44-38 record in 82 postseason games with Sullivan as their head coach. Sullivan is the Penguins’ all-time leader in several coaching categories, including regular season games coached, regular season wins, postseason games coached, and postseason wins.
In addition to his head coaching experience in the NHL, Sullivan has been a part of coaching staffs for several NHL teams. He has eight years of experience as an Assistant Coach with four different NHL teams: Boston (2002-03), the Tampa Bay Lightning (2007-08 – 2008-09), NY Rangers (2009-10 – 2012-13), and Vancouver (2013-14). Sullivan was also the development coach for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2014-15 season when they won the Stanley Cup. Sullivan also served parts of two seasons as a head coach in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins (2002-03) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (2015-16).
Internationally, the Marshfield, Massachusetts native has coached with Team USA in several tournaments. Sullivan served as Team USA’s head coach at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, and he was named the head coach for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. Sullivan had also initially been named the head coach for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics (ultimately did not coach in the tournament after NHL players were unable to play). He also served as an Assistant Coach for Team USA at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
During his playing career, Sullivan skated in 709 career NHL games over 11 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Phoenix Coyotes. He was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round (69th overall) of the 1987 NHL Draft. In addition, Sullivan played four years of college hockey at Boston University, and he served as the team’s captain in his senior year.
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