Ron Cook: Mike Sullivan, Rick Tocchet have separated from NHL coaching pack

Ron Cook: Mike Sullivan, Rick Tocchet have separated from NHL coaching pack

“If I’m Team USA general manager Stan Bowman, my choice to coach in Beijing — if there is NHL involvement [at the Olympics] in China, and that’s still to be finalized — would be Pittsburgh’s Mike Sullivan … Sullivan is on the long list of those with coach of the year credentials this season. The others: Rick Tocchet in Arizona; Rod Brind’Amour in Carolina; Sheldon Keefe in Toronto; Dean Evason in Minnesota; Joel Quenneville in Florida; Barry Trotz, again, every year on Long Island. That’s seven strong candidates and only three can be finalists.”

Penguins’ Mike Sullivan Deserves More Credit

Penguins’ Mike Sullivan Deserves More Credit

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had anything but an easy ride this season. There were turns left and right with front office shakeups and injuries to key players. Questions of whether the tenures of veterans Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin were up became as loud as ever.

Mike Sullivan Joins Elite with 300th Win; 4th US Coach to hit Milestone

Mike Sullivan Joins Elite with 300th Win; 4th US Coach to hit Milestone

With shootouts and three-on-three overtime, wins may become easier to accumulate than generations past when ties were possible. However, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan still joined an elite coaching fraternity on Thursday night when the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 at Key Bank Arena.

Pittsburgh Penguins’ 3 Greatest Head Coaches

Pittsburgh Penguins’ 3 Greatest Head Coaches

Since the Pittsburgh Penguins entered the league along with six other franchises back in 1967 — one of them being their in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers — the organization has been writing a rather rich chapter for the history books.