The New York Rangers have not taken off in the 2025-26 season amid high expectations. They lost 2-1 at home to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, continuing their struggles at Madison Square Garden. Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan was not behind the bench for that game due to personal reasons, but has returned for Tuesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights, per New York Post reporter Mollie Walker.
“I'd rather not get into the details of it, but I appreciate everybody's support. I'm grateful to Mr. Dolan and [Chris Drury] for their understanding. Obviously, family means everything to all of us. I appreciate everybody's support through a little bit of a trying circumstance,” Sullivan said, per Walker.
Sullivan returned to his hometown of Boston early on Sunday to tend to a personal matter. David Quinn, a former Rangers head coach, and Joe Sacco shared bench duties on Sunday. The assistants said that the transition was seamless.
The Rangers hired Sullivan after a decade in Pittsburgh, which included two Stanley Cup wins. So far, they have been great on the road but dreadful at the World's Most Famous Arena. That continued without Sullivan behind the bench despite an epic performance from Jonathan Quick.
Sullivan is joining the Rangers for the West Coast road trip in Vegas on Tuesday night. After that, the Blueshirts visit the Colorado Avalanche and Utah Mammoth before heading home. Picking up four points would be huge for the playoff push on Broadway, and they have their head coach back for the key games.
Sullivan benefited from his veteran assistant coaches when taking this leave. Both Quinn and Sacco have been head coaches in the league and were able to coach in a difficult situation on Sunday. But now, the Stanley Cup champion is back for the Rangers ahead of a key road trip.
