Penguins’ Mike Sullivan to coach Team USA for 2026 Olympics – The Athletic – The New York Times

Mike Sullivan is getting his chance.

The Penguins coach had been tabbed to coach Team USA four years earlier, but schedule alterations due to the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible. Now, the two-time Stanley Cup winner will guide Team USA in the 2026 Olympics and the 2025 4 Nations Face-off.

Team USA general manager Bill Guerin worked with Sullivan for many years in Pittsburgh and has a strong bond with him.

Were excited to have Mike guiding our teams, Guerin said. He is one of the very best coaches in the game and his background, including with international hockey, is well-suited to help put our team in the best position to win.

Sullivan, 56, was an assistant coach at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016 and has coached on many other occasions internationally for Team USA. Hes coached the Penguins since December 2015, guiding them to championships in 2016 and 2017.

While he has come under fire from some members of the fan base in Pittsburgh because of the teams recent woes the Penguins havent made the playoffs in either of the past two seasons and havent won a postseason series since 2018 he remains highly regarded in NHL circles.

Sullivan, a native of Marshfield, Mass., was eager to coach Team USA when he was last presented with such an opportunity and it comes as no surprise that he was picked to guide this team.

He commands much respect around the NHL, especially among star players. Sullivan is one of the most successful coaches in recent NHL history and has extensive experience coaching in international tournaments. His reputation as a good communicator is well known and, in such short tournaments, that skill would seem particularly important.

No one will be more familiar with the competition in these tournaments than Sullivan. Canada is Team USAs biggest rival and the Canadian captain figures to be Sidney Crosby, who Sullivan has coached for nearly a decade. Other big names from the Penguins could play in these tournaments, and Sullivan will likely get another chance to coach Jake Guentzel, an American whom the Penguins recently traded to Carolina.

Probably. Sullivan has three years remaining on his contract, not to mention firm backing from Crosby, president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and Fenway Sports Group ownership.

Still, there will be unprecedented pressure on Sullivan with the Penguins this season, as the franchise has only missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons once in the past 35 years.

Extremely good. Team USA will be one of the favorites in this tournament. They are loaded at the goaltending position with the likes of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman and Thatcher Demko.

Theyre loaded everywhere. Consider the star power: Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel and Tage Thompson could play down the middle, and will have potential teammates such as Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Kyle Connor, Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy (Sullivans son-in-law).

(Photo: James Guillory / USA Today)

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Penguins' Mike Sullivan to coach Team USA for 2026 Olympics - The Athletic - The New York Times