Penguins Continue Strong Offseason with Sullivan Extension

The Pittsburgh Penguins and head coach Mike Sullivan will not be splitting up any time soon.

I don’t think there was much belief that something like that could happen anyway given Sullivan’s success as one of the NHL’s longest-tenured coaches, but the two sides guaranteed the continuation of their partnership on Tuesday.

Sullivan and the Penguins agreed to a three-year contract extension that will kick in at the beginning of the 2024-2025 season, keeping the two-time Stanley Cup champion behind the bench in Pittsburgh through the 2026-2027 campaign.

Last season, the seventh-year coach led the Pens to a 46-25-11 record and yet another playoff appearance. Though the Penguins were unable to capitalize on their 3-1 series advantage over the New York Rangers, they surprised some people who felt that their core could no longer compete.

The Penguins have extended Mike Sullivan for three years.

Pittsburgh has not won a playoff series since 2018, and it seemed possible that with a new ownership group and a few postseason letdowns, Sully could be on his way out.

Instead, the organization recognized just how good he is and made sure to keep him in the fold for the long haul.

It’s abundantly clear that the Penguins desire nothing more than to contend for a championship immediately while their core players can still play at a high level.

The first steps this offseason were to lock up Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and more, and now the coach has been taken care of too.

Throughout his time as Pittsburgh’s bench boss, Sullivan has compiled a 297-156-24 record. He was named the club’s coach in December of 2015 and won the first of two consecutive Cups later that season.

Whether it’s familiarity, a lack of other coaching options, or a simple belief and trust in the man that has guided the franchise to its two most recent titles, the Penguins like what they have in Mike Sullivan, and they made a great decision when they extended him into 2027.