The New York Rangers hired Mike Sullivan as coach a few days after quitting their job with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sullivan’s deal is five years and will make him the best paid coach in NHL history, sources told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Mike Babcock previously made the most of his money at $62.5 million a year when he coached the Maple Leafs.
General Manager Chris Dolly announced the move Friday, bringing in top candidates from the organization that had lost their jobs within a week.
“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the best head coaches in the NHL,” Drury said. “Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench. …When we started this process and Mike became an available option to talk to us, it quickly became clear that he was the best coach to lead our team.”
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Sullivan will replace Peter Rabiolet, who was fired after the Rangers missed the playoffs after a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. Sullivan, who coached Pittsburgh back to the Stanley Cup in 2016 and ’17, is tasked with trying to bring the Rangers back to the immediate contender.
Drury moved to get Sullivan after receiving his own multi-year contract extension.
“Mike’s track record and success in the NHL and internationally speaks to itself, and I look forward to seeing him behind the Rangers bench,” owner James Dolan said. “I want to bring Mike back to the Rangers organization.”
Sullivan, 57, spent 2009-13 as an assistant to the Rangers under his then-coach coach. He coached Drury during that time, and the two have worked professionally through USA hockey in a four-country showdown in February, part of the US conditions for the 2026 Milan Olympics.
Tortorera, who was fired as a Philadelphia Flyers coach in late March, spoke with the Rangers but will not join Sullivan’s staff as he did in four countries, sources told Kaplan. No assistant recruitment was confirmed on Friday, and the organization is expected to discuss those openings in the coming days.
Sullivan was with the Penguins in December 2015 when Mike Johnston was fired for several months during his inactive tenure. This is his third head coaching job in the NHL after being pinned around a short stint with the Boston Bruins in 2003-04 and a lockout in which ’05-06 wiped out the entire season.
New York’s acquisition Sullivan will leave seven teams in the league with vacant seats, including Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Anaheim, Seattle and Vancouver. Multiple teams that first reach Sullivan will need to pivot to other experienced options, including Rick Totchet, Joel Quenneville and Laviolet. Also, a couple of college coaches at recent national championships: David Carl of Denver and Pat Ferschweiler of West Michigan.
This report uses information from the Associated Press.
