Is Mike Sullivan Losing the Pittsburgh Penguins Locker Room?
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There are sometimes long-tenured coaches who can overstay their welcome, which has everything to do with success in the playoffs and championships. It happens to practically every competitive team, and that is especially true for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Head coach Mike Sullivan may have shocked the NHL with back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, but he has since not been as successful. The Penguins have made the playoffs in every season since Sullivan took over, but have failed to reach a cup since the aforementioned seasons.
The frustration of this is palpable, and it appears that Sullivan might now be losing the locker room. Jeremy Roenick discusses this on the new Snipes and Stripes Podcast.
"The rumor over the weekend through maybe people in the know or people, but I'm around a lot of people that are around the National Hockey League. Some of the players are starting to turn on Mike Sullivan. They are starting to lose faith and lose interest in Mike Sullivan. Maybe that is a big decision that Pittsburgh has to make."
via Jeremy Roenick, Snipes and Stripes
Sullivan has been with the Penguins for eight complete seasons and is in his ninth. It may be time for the organization to make a big change. Culture can often sour after so many seasons, leading to a coach no longer fitting in with players.
Something similar happened with the Los Angeles Kings HC Darryl Sutter. Sutter won Cups in the 2012 and 2014 seasons, but his style eventually did not work with the team any longer past that.
"He's been there for a long time. He's a great coach. He is a guy that has gotten it done. But when you lose the ear of the players as a coach, we've seen what happens when you need or you need a new voice, you need a new system, you need a new trajectory as behind the bench."
via Jeremy Roenick, Snipes and Stripes
Even though Sullivan is a championship-caliber coach, he might no longer mesh with the Penguins. He might find work with another team, but it sounds like his time with Pittsburgh is inching closer to being done.
