Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Kyle Dubas Issues Statement on Penguins' Decision to Fire Mike Sullivan
The Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas issued an official statement on the firing of head coach Mike Sullivan.
Despite being one of the best coaches in the entire NHL, Mike Sullivan hasn't been able to bring his team to the playoffs for the past three seasons. After yet another disappointing year that saw the Pens end the season at the seventh rank of the Metropolitan Division, the team and Sullivan officially parted ways.
The organization announced the news on Monday morning in an official press release, in which we can read comments from Dubas.
In his declaration, Dubas thanked Sullivan for his years of service and all the success he had with the team, but also revealed how the decision was not an easy one, but the organization felt that it was their best option going forward.
"On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade.
Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons.
He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization.
This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved."
Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons.
He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization.
This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved."
Over his 10-year tenure in Pittsburgh, Sullivan led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups, and made the playoffs every year outside of the past three seasons.
He will be remembered as one of the best coaches of his time, and will likely look to pursue his career with another organization.
Many teams could be interested in hiring the coach, such as the Boston Bruins or Anaheim Ducks, who'll both be among the organizations looking to bring a talented head coach before the start of the next season.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 28 | 420 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas Issues Statement on Penguins' Decision to Fire Mike Sullivan Do you think the Pittsburgh Penguins made a mistake by firing Mike Sullivan? | ||
| Yes | 158 | 37.6 % |
| No | 262 | 62.4 % |
| List of polls | ||