The 400 Club: Mike Sullivan scores 400th coaching victory against Philadelphia

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – When former Penguins’ Common Supervisor Jim Rutherford promoted Mike Sullivan to be the Penguins’ head coach on December 15, 2015, he knew what he was getting. 

“Mike Sullivan has been a head coach and an assistant coach within the NHL and we have been very lucky to have him with our AHL membership this season,” he mentioned that day. “He is executed an excellent job in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and he is able to step in.”

On that day, he changed Mike Johnston because the Penguins’ bench boss and went on to win consecutive Stanley Cups, making him the primary coach in Penguins’ historical past to win greater than only a single championship with the membership. 

It was with a few of these guys Sullivan leaned on to win the franchise’s fourth and fifth Stanley Cups – names like Matt Murray, Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, Tom Kuhnhackl, Scott Wilson, and others. 

Seven years later, Sullivan has develop into not solely the Penguins’ chief in victories as head coach however a stabilizing power. 

“He is the perfect coach I’ve ever had,” mentioned Penguins defenseman Kris Letang to The Athletic. “He is who we wish as our coach.”

His spot atop the Penguins’ leaderboard elevated on Saturday because the Penguins skated to a 5-1 victory over the rival Philadelphia Flyers. 

The victory gave Sullivan 400 wins as a head coach within the Nationwide Hockey League with 330 of these victories coming right here in Pittsburgh. 

He now sits eighth amongst lively NHL coaches in victories, falling behind Jon Cooper, Todd McLellan, John Tortorella, Darryl Sutter, Peter Laviolette, Paul Maurice, and Lindy Ruff. 

He additionally has nudged his approach into the highest 50 all-time, sitting at fortieth, forward of such icons as Fred Shero, Artwork Ross, Lester Patrick, and Crimson Kelly, to call a number of. 

This previous summer season, Fenway Sports activities Group, the Penguins, and Mike Sullivan agreed to a three-year extension, that ought to preserve him because the coach by means of the 2026-27 season. 

“He is top-of-the-line coaches within the Nationwide Hockey League and we sit up for our continued collaboration with him and all the Penguins group to carry one other Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh,” mentioned Fenway Sports activities Group Chairman Tom Werner on the time. 

It isn’t a nasty wager contemplating that Sullivan’s 44 victories within the playoffs once more rank primary in franchise historical past. 

Sullivan and the Penguins will go for profession victory 401 this night when the New York Rangers come to PPG Paints Area for a 4 p.m. showdown.