New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan returned to PPG Paints Arena for the first time since parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. While the Rangers grabbed a 6-1 victory, Penguins fans were sure to show their appreciation for everything Sullivan had accomplished with the franchise.
Pittsburgh displayed a tribute video for Sullivan that highlighted some of his finest moments. Additionally, the fans gave the former coach a standing ovation. The Marshfield native led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships and earned a 409-255 record across 10 years at the helm.
Sullivan was a staple in Pittsburgh and earned the respect of several veterans who had already been with the franchise before he arrived in 2015.
“It’s not common at all,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby told NHL.com. “That says a lot about [Sullivan] and the job that he did. The biggest thing is, in 10 years, the game evolves. I feel like he found new things each year to challenge us on. It wasn’t the exact same thing every single year.
“That was great that he was able to keep it fresh a bit. Ultimately, when you win together, it’s pretty unique. We were able to do that a couple of times. It was pretty impressive for a coach to go that long.”
The 57-year-old was hired as the Rangers' head coach on May 2 and will hope to make his mark in New York.
“It’s a lot different, obviously, being on the opposite side,” Sullivan said. “It’s not something that I’ve given a whole lot of thought to, quite honestly. But obviously, I’m so grateful for the opportunity that I had here and to coach the Penguins for the amount of time that I was able to do it. We had a lot of good memories, and I’m grateful for that.”
