The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season. Despite another great year from Sidney Crosby, their supporting cast fell short again, finishing with 80 points. On Monday morning, they made a big change for the first time in ten years. The Penguins fired head coach Mike Sullivan, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion.

“Pittsburgh and Mike Sullivan are parting ways,” Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.

The Penguins have not one a playoff series since the 2018 First Round. After losing to the Washington Capitals in the second round that year, they have been disappointing. Sullivan pays the price despite his historic run in the Steel City.

Sullivan holds the Penguins' franchise record with 753 games coached, 409 wins, and is the only one to win two titles. He won his first after joining the team mid-season in 2016. They then followed that up with another title, marking the second time in franchise history that they won consecutive Stanley Cups.

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Sullivan was the Team USA head coach for the 4 Nations Face-Off and is locked in as their coach for the 2026 Olympics. If he takes the year off to focus on the Stars and Stripes, that would not be surprising. Friedman reported that he had two years left on his deal, making that a possibility. But there are plenty of openings where he would be a great fit.

In 2021, Chris Drury took over the Rangers and had a coaching vacancy to fill. Before hiring Gerard Gallant, Drury waited to see what Sullivan's contract situation would be. Now, the Rangers have a coaching vacancy again and could hire Sullivan. He is from Boston, and Joe Sacco was an interim coach there. Could the Ducks pay up to land Sullivan? Does it change anything for the Canucks and Rick Tocchet? The firing of a great coach throws a wrench into the NHL offseason.