Insider Links Rangers to Mike Sullivan

The New York Rangers will be a tough team to beat in the Mike Sullivan sweepstakes.

Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] United States coaches Mike Sullivan, right, and JohnTortorella during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against Canada at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images / Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

It wasn’t long ago that the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Mike Sullivan as their head coach, and it won’t be too much longer before he lands a new job in the NHL. There is sure to be no shortage of teams already reaching out to the former Penguins bench boss, but one Metropolitan Division rival should be a tough team to beat in the Sullivan sweepstakes.

Mike Sullivan always says it’s a player’s game - but let’s be real: back-to-back Cups don’t happen without his leadership behind the bench.

Here's to the winningest coach in franchise history. Two Cups, countless memories... Thank you, Sully.
Read more: https://t.co/BWy9O17AAY pic.twitter.com/zfgBNIwvKD

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 29, 2025

According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the New York Rangers can’t let anyone else in the league get to Sullivan before they do.

“I just don’t know how if you’re the New York Rangers,” Friedman said. “You are allowing anyone to snatch Sullivan from your clutches.”

Friedman talked about when Chris Drury took over as general manager of the Rangers in 2021, he waited on making his own coaching decision to see where things stood with Sullivan at the Penguins.

“2021, Chris Drury takes over… he waited to make sure Sullivan was not available before he hired Gerard Gellant,” Friedman said. “He was with Sullivan this year at the 4 Nations, he knows what he sees there.”

Plenty of teams have coaching vacancies around the NHL, including some attractive spots like the up-and-coming Chicago Blackhawks or Sullivan’s hometown Boston Bruins.

There are also familiar faces that could greet Sullivan with the Vancouver Canucks with the recent departure of Rick Tocchet.

Each of the Rangers, Blackhawks, Bruins, and Canucks, Sullivan has a history and at least some sort of familiarity with.

Friedman still holds that it has to be the Rangers and they can’t let anyone get in the way of that.

“They have to get this right,” Friedman said. “I just don’t see any way the Rangers can allow themselves to be beaten to Mike Sullivan. I will be shocked if he isn’t their guy.”

The Rangers are the most well-equipped to win in 2025-26 of all the teams with coaching vacancies. Not far removed from a President’s Trophy campaign, the Rangers could use a guy like Sullivan to settle the room and return the Rangers to a prestigious level in the NHL.

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