Mike Sullivan fired on Monday.

The Mike Sullivan era of the Pittsburgh Penguins has officially come to an end.

On Monday, in an official statement, the Penguins announced that they would be parting ways with long time head coach Mike Sullivan after a decade of work behind the bench. Sullivan is one of the most respected and revered coaches in the entire National Hockey League so this move comes as a shock despite the Penguins recent struggles.

General manager Kyle Dubas released the following statement:

"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," wrote Dubas in a statement published on the Penguins official website. "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."

Sullivan found immediate success as head coach of the Penguins winning a Stanley Cup championship in both his first and second seasons behind the bench, but unfortunately he was never able to repeat that success after his first two runs to the Cup. In the last trwo years of his tenure the Penguins failed to even make the playoffs, something that has no doubt played a major factor in today's decision.

Sullivan was beloved in the Pittsburgh area but I do wonder how this news will be received with many fans clearly feeling that changes need to be made moving forward. Was this the right move from the Penguins? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.