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Mike Sullivan Exposes Locker Room Issues Inside Rangers Camp
Photo credit: Peter Carr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Rangers officially introduced Mike Sullivan as their head coach today, where he made some comments that exposed the real issues that haunted the team.
Mike Sullivan is joining the New York Rangers as head coach with a resolute goal of bringing the team back to its best. The Rangers bid farewell to Peter Laviolette in April following a disappointing campaign.
New York limped to a 39-36-7 record, finishing fifth in the Metropolitan Division and six points shy of a playoff position, after having lofty expectations after a Presidents' Trophy winner the previous season and an Eastern Conference Final appearance the year before.
Sullivan, officially named head coach on Friday, is seasoned and well acquainted with the Rangers.
He coached the rival Pittsburgh Penguins for the last ten years, regularly facing New York, most recently, in a 2022 seven-game playoff series loss, Pittsburgh's last playoff appearance.
Sullivan exposes the Rangers for not playing like a true "team"
Though he wouldn't take a guess on why the Rangers have struggled lately, Sullivan has already worked with most of the Rangers' key players and believes they will need to be better to become a true "team".
"I know there's a lot talent in the dressing room, but as we all know, talent alone doesn't win championships," Sullivan said during his introductory news conference Thursday.
"Teams win championships. I think that's going to be our challenge from Day 1, is to become a team in the true sense of the word. That was the challenge I think most organizations go through when they enter training camp every single year. We're no different in that regard."
He added, "We're gonna try to push these guys every day to maximize the potential that exists here. We'll see where that takes us."
"Teams win championships. I think that's going to be our challenge from Day 1, is to become a team in the true sense of the word. That was the challenge I think most organizations go through when they enter training camp every single year. We're no different in that regard."
He added, "We're gonna try to push these guys every day to maximize the potential that exists here. We'll see where that takes us."
He coached Team USA in February during the 4 Nations Face-Off, with Rangers mainstays Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, and Vincent Trocheck spearheading the U.S. to a visit in the championship final.
Rangers GM Chris Drury moved fast as soon as Sullivan became a free agent. The two share history, as Sullivan was an assistant coach with the Rangers from 2009 to 2013, overlapping with the final few seasons of Drury's playing career, including his time as team captain.
Now, Sullivan is in New York again with the mission of returning the Rangers to contender status.
| POLL | ||
MAI 9 | 156 ANSWERS Mike Sullivan Exposes Locker Room Issues Inside Rangers Camp Will the Rangers have less drama and be a better team next season? | ||
| Yes | 99 | 63.5 % |
| No | 57 | 36.5 % |
| List of polls | ||