Was Pittsburgh Penguins Head Coach Mike Sullivan Fired? Details
Mike Sullivan, a former professional hockey player, joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as head coach in 2015.
Published April 28 2025, 1:05 p.m. ET
The world of sports is well-known for its revolving door of coaches and no particular sport is exempt, including hockey. Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins are questioning if long-time head coach Mike Sullivan made the decision to leave the team or if he was fired.
Mike, a former professional hockey player, joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as head coach in 2015, under his leadership the team won multiple Stanley Cup championships.
Was Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan fired?
On Monday, April 28, it was announced via Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas that the team had officially parted ways with Mike after almost 10 years. The statement did not explicitly say that Mike was fired but said that his departure was “the best course forward for all involved,” according to ESPN.
"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," Dubas said in the statement. "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,” he continued. “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."
What has Mike said about leaving the Penguins?
As of now, the back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning coach has not publicly addressed leaving the team. However, many sports insiders and experts said that he is now a top contender for his next coaching role.
Hockey insiders also say that they expect Mike to speak about leaving the team sooner rather than later, and also speculate that he could possibly announce a new position at the same time.
What happened between Mike and the team?
Just days before the announcement that Mike was departing as head coach of the Penguins, general manager Kyle sang his praises. This complete turnaround has left fans scratching their heads regarding what changed in such a short time.
“There’s always the point that very few coaches who are in that realm often want to see a team through this,” Kyle previously said of Mike helping with roster changes, per the Associated Press. “But he’s been very open about this is what he wants to do so we’ll just continue to reaffirm that and as long as he’s on that side of it, we will roll with that.”
Succeeding former head coach Mike Johnston, Mike helped the Pittsburgh Penguins become the first team in close to 20 years to secure consecutive NHL titles in 2016 and 2017. However, the last few years has seen the team struggling to retain their Stanley Cup-winning glory days.