Confirmed with Link: Penguins and Mike Sullivan part ways

[DesertedPenguin]

Based on Dubas talking up coaches doing well in their first head coaching stint, as well as needing until June to potentially make a hire, here are some potential candidates:

• David Carle, University of Denver head coach - two-time NCAA champ. Young coach. Denver is a powerhouse. Also two-time gold medal coach of USA World Junior team.
• Jeff Halpern, Tampa assistant - Big role in Tampa's success under Jon Cooper. Runs power play. Former NHL player.
• Mitch Love, Washington assistant - Former minor league enforcer was a successful coach for Saskatoon in WHL and then as Calgary's AHL head coach. Joined Spencer Carberry's staff in Washington to coach the defensemen.
• Marc Savard, Toronto assistant - Had his NHL career cut short due to concussions, was a former head coach in the OHL before joining Calgary and then Toronto as an assistant
• Joel Ward, Vegas assistant - Longtime former NHL forward has been a big part of Vegas' success since joining the club at the AHL level in 2020 and now as an NHL assistant.
• Todd Nelson, Hershey head coach - Hershey is one of the top teams in the AHL over the last few years. Nelson has blended youth with experienced minor leaguers. Considered a power play guru. Brief stint as Edmonton's interim head coach.
• Marco Sturm, Ontario head coach - Sturm has been tabbed as one of the top AHL coaching candidates out there. Also has experience as an NHL assistant. Could be in the running for the Anaheim gig
• Neil Graham, Texas head coach - I haven't seen him listed much, and he's still young at 38, but Graham has played a role in helping to develop some of the Stars' young talent over the last few years as the Texas AHL head coach. Previously an ECHL head coach.
• Pascal Vincent, Laval head coach - He had one year with Columbus following the Mike Babcock debacle, and then the Blue Jackets cleaned house. He had a long stint as head coach and GM in the QMJHL, then in the AHL, then as an assistant. Probably deserves a legit shot somewhere.
• Manny Malhotra, Abbotsford head coach - Doing well as first year head coach. Dubas hired him in Toronto as an assistant back in 2020.
• Jay Pandolfo, Boston University head coach - Had to throw a Boston guy in here. Pandolfo is doing well as Boston U's head coach after initially spending his post-playing career in the Bruins' development staff and as an NHL assistant.

 

[SomeDude]

Quinn makes ZERO sense. You can't be Dubas and defiantly talk about change today, then put the clone behind the bench.

I’d be happy to be wrong, but I think that is what is going to happen.

I think they want a Mike Sullivan clone, and probably were going to keep Sully next year until he apparently made some requests/demands that made it clear they could no longer work together.

 

[End of Line]

For those who were watching, what happened between Dubas and Ursula?

 

[Jared Grayden]

I don't care who the coach is so long as they commit to tanking as they should.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I’d be happy to be wrong, but I think that is what is going to happen.

I think they want a Mike Sullivan clone, and probably were going to keep Sully next year until he apparently made some requests/demands that made it clear they could no longer work together.

Agree to disagree here.

 

[Darren McCord]

I just can’t see an up and coming coach with a promising future considering this gig. They know what’s going to happen and that this team is going to suck for awhile. Even if a team promises to stick with you through it, coaches hired right at the cusp of a rebuild almost always last 2-3 years and then are unceremonious tossed away when the team is ready to start trying to win again.

I think it’s going to be Quinn unless he follows Sully to his next gig.

lol no way. Quinn is only not being fired because he is under contract. Dubas is going to let the new coach decided whether Quinn stays or not. But it will not be Quinn.

Dubas just isn't going to fire him becuase the new coach might want to keep him. And even though the defense sucked the PP was pretty great.

 

[Darren McCord]

I think they want a Mike Sullivan clone, and probably were going to keep Sully next year until he apparently made some requests/demands that made it clear they could no longer work together.

He made it pretty clear in the press conference that he has wanted to fire sully pretty much all year.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Meh. We got turned down by assistant/out of work coaches back when Johnston was hired. These guys think long term. They know if they start their head coaching career with a .350 winning percentage, they’re probably not going to get another opportunity.

That's because Rutherford screwed up.

The Pens are seriously lucky that Rutherford figured things out, because his first year here was an abject disaster. His offseason sigings, the hiring of Johnston, the salary cap debacle at the end of the year that forced the Pens to play shorthanded -- all of it because of Rutherford.

 

[SomeDude]

lol no way. Quinn is only not being fired because he is under contract. Dubas is going to let the new coach decided whether Quinn stays or not. But it will not be Quinn.

Dubas just isn't going to fire him becuase the new coach might want to keep him. And even though the defense sucked the PP was pretty great.

We’ll see. I said from the moment Quinn was hired he would be the next coach. I hope I’m wrong.

 

[BusinessGoose]

So it begins...

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I’d be happy to be wrong, but I think that is what is going to happen.

I think they want a Mike Sullivan clone, and probably were going to keep Sully next year until he apparently made some requests/demands that made it clear they could no longer work together.

You're creative a narrative from nothing.

There is zero evidence Sullivan made demands - reporters refuted the initial claim and then Dubas outright denied it. Dubas also said this is a move that he had been considering most of the season, not just in the last week.

Quinn is only sticking with the team for now because he's under contract. Everyone else is gone. Dubas is cleaning house. Once he hires a head coach, Quinn will be gone, too.

 

[Darren McCord]

We’ll see. I said from the moment Quinn was hired he would be the next coach. I hope I’m wrong.

Quinn is a mid season replacement not full time. They would have already named him head coach or interim if they were going to do that.

Why spend all the money and resources for 2 months just to hire him. There is 0% chance he is the coach. Quinn was more a sully hire than Dubas.

 

[SomeDude]

That's because Rutherford screwed up.

The Pens are seriously lucky that Rutherford figured things out, because his first year here was an abject disaster. His offseason sigings, the hiring of Johnston, the salary cap debacle at the end of the year that forced the Pens to play shorthanded -- all of it because of Rutherford.

I think the coaching thing had more to do with how Disco was strung along by ownership for 2 months when everyone knew he was going to be fired eventually, but still, it isn’t unheard of for assistant coaches to wait for an opportunity they feel is right rather than just accepting a head coaching job because it’s offered to them like many seem to think.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

That's because Rutherford screwed up.

The Pens are seriously lucky that Rutherford figured things out, because his first year here was an abject disaster. His offseason sigings, the hiring of Johnston, the salary cap debacle at the end of the year that forced the Pens to play shorthanded -- all of it because of Rutherford.

I absolutely hated the JR signing at first and his early tenure did little to dissuade that opinion.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

For those who were watching, what happened between Dubas and Ursula?

Madden?

Mark Madden asked how Sid felt about the decision. Dubas initially responded that he wasn't going to address it in fairness to Sid. Madden replied it was a fair question. Dubas said he wasn't questioning the fairness of the question, but that he wasn't going to respond for Sid. Dubas shared that he gave Sid a courtesy call prior to meeting with Sullivan, it lasted all of five minutes, and that Dubas is going to do what he feels is best for the Penguins regardless of how any players feel.

 

[Zirakzigil]

So it begins...

 

[End of Line]

Madden?

Mark Madden asked how Sid felt about the decision. Dubas initially responded that he wasn't going to address it in fairness to Sid. Madden replied it was a fair question. Dubas said he wasn't questioning the fairness of the question, but that he wasn't going to respond for Sid. Dubas shared that he gave Sid a courtesy call prior to meeting with Sullivan, it lasted all of five minutes, and that Dubas is going to do what he feels is best for the Penguins regardless of how any players feel.

Yeah Madden. He’s always looked like Ursula from little mermaid so I call him that.

Dude is a tool.

 

[SomeDude]

You're creative a narrative from nothing.

There is zero evidence Sullivan made demands - reporters refuted the initial claim and then Dubas outright denied it. Dubas also said this is a move that he had been considering most of the season, not just in the last week.

Quinn is only sticking with the team for now because he's under contract. Everyone else is gone. Dubas is cleaning house. Once he hires a head coach, Quinn will be gone, too.

I’m at work, so if there is new information than I missed it. I wasn’t even aware Dubas had a presser yet.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Jesus, Yohe. Do some homework. He includes Vellucci, MacDonald, and Tocchet as potential replacements.

Dubas flat-out said MacDonald won't be considered. Vellucci just got canned by Dubas. And Tocchet doesn't fit anything of what Dubas has talked about.

Penguins coaching candidates: Who could fill Mike Sullivan’s big shoes in Pittsburgh?

A look at some names that could be in the running to become the next coach of the Penguins.

www.nytimes.com

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I’m at work, so if there is new information than I missed it. I wasn’t even aware Dubas had a presser yet.

The last 10 or so pages of this thread includes Dubas' comments from the press conference.

 

[Turin]

also, don't have revisionist history with Sullivan. He was a successful coach here. It's not his fault the organization kept him 3 years too long. No coach has ever fired themselves and he's way too young to retire

Except Paul Maurice

 

[nsvoyageurs]

As a NYR fan, I do NOT want Sullivan to be their next head coach, but he likely will be. He's worse than Peter Laviolette in terms of not playing younger players and allowing them to develop properly.

From what I've head/read, Sullivan never adjusts how the team plays; maybe someone here can clarify/elaborate on this.

He's just riding Sidney Crosby's coattails since they win the Cup in 2017.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

As a NYR fan, I do NOT want Sullivan to be their next head coach, but he likely will be. He's worse than Peter Laviolette in terms of not playing younger players and allowing them to develop properly.

From what I've head/read, Sullivan never adjusts how the team plays; maybe someone here can clarify/elaborate on this.

He's just riding Sidney Crosby's coattails since they win the Cup in 2017.

Sullivan adapted very well during his first few years. He was very good at some systemic adjustments in both the 2016 and 2017 playoffs. The Penguins completely changed their approach in 2017 because of injuries - they packed it in a lot more and toned down some of the aggressive forecheck that helped them win in 2016. He even did a good job a few years ago against the Rangers when the Pens were down to their third string goalie. If not for those injuries, the Pens likely win against the Rangers.

But he's been increasingly stubborn and less flexible. He's loyal to a fault to his guys and quick to pass over those who aren't his guys.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Jesus, Yohe. Do some homework. He includes Vellucci, MacDonald, and Tocchet as potential replacements.

Dubas flat-out said MacDonald won't be considered. Vellucci just got canned by Dubas. And Tocchet doesn't fit anything of what Dubas has talked about.

Penguins coaching candidates: Who could fill Mike Sullivan’s big shoes in Pittsburgh?

A look at some names that could be in the running to become the next coach of the Penguins.

www.nytimes.com

Did you expect any less from our intrepid very serious sports media?

I've barely followed the Penguins all year and I still know more about what is going on than Yohe does.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

IT'S BEEN OVER 4 HOURS I NEED A DOCTOR