The New York Rangers got their guy and announced Mike Sullivan as the 38th head coach in franchise history. It didn’t take long for Sullivan to find a job after departing from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Rangers reportedly made a substantial offer.
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Rangers signed Sullivan to a five-year contract to a dollar amount that makes him the highest-paid head coach the NHL has ever seen. While she didn’t say what the exact price tag is, she mentioned that it’s the “highest annual salary for a coach in NHL history.”
Sullivan still had two seasons remaining on a contract extension he signed with the Penguins, a deal that earned him $5.5 million annually. Considering his new contract likely exceeds that number, it’s possible Sullivan will be making more money than most players in the NHL for the next five years.
The Rangers still have the rest of their coaching staff to fill out, but with a centerpiece like Sullivan, it shouldn’t be hard.
Sullivan is a two-time Stanley Cup champion from his time with the Penguins and earned every dollar he’ll make on his new deal. In 10 seasons with the Penguins, Sullivan picked up a 409-255-89 record, recording only one season under .500.
Before joining the Penguins, Sullivan was briefly the head coach of the Boston Bruins between 2003 and 2005. After his time in Boston, Sullivan floated around a few teams as an assistant coach, including the Rangers from 2009 to 2013.
While taking over head coaching duties with the Rangers, Sullivan will also serve as the bench boss for Team USA at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
