Pens coach Sullivan enters the record books with historic Stanley Cup win

Incredible to think that he’s the the first ever coach to achieve the remarkable distinction.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Pens coach Sullivan enters the record books with historic Stanley Cup win
Keystone Press

Before the Pittsburgh Penguins hired head coach Mike Sullivan, something had to change. Then they hired him and EVERYTHING changed. The Penguins transformed from an underachieving team who struggled to put up offense, despite having some of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive weapons, into back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.

Sullivan, as you might expect, is receiving heaps of praise for his work in Pittsburgh the past two seasons, but he’s quick to put the focus on his players, saying “This group of players is a unique group. I know 20 years from now these guys are going to look back and be proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish.”

Still, there’s no denying Sullivan’s impact on the franchise. With last night’s victory, he becomes the first American-born head coach to win multiple Stanley Cups.  He also joins Hockey Hall of Famer Toe Blake as the only two coaches to ever win back-to-back championships in their first two seasons with a franchise. 

It’s pretty remarkable stuff. Mike Sullivan has yet to suffer an NHL playoff series defeat. Think about that…players and coaches can sometimes go a decade between series wins. For coach Sullivan and the Pens though… this is just another day at the office.


Source: Sean Leahy