If the New York Rangers had it their way, they’d have their new head coach signed in the next couple of days. According to Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet, the Rangers are expected to pursue Mike Sullivan’s services aggressively.
Before he was brought into the Penguins organization to be the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2015-16, and before he served as the Canucks assistant coach and Blackhawks development coach, Sullivan served as the Rangers assistant coach from 2009-2013.
During that time, John Tortorella was the Rangers’ head coach, while Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan were the team’s captains. Unfortunately, Sullivan had already left the organization by the time New York returned to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years in 2014.
Other notes from the Metro Division:
- In his offseason series regarding Pittsburgh Penguins’ players, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review took a look at prospect Harrison Brunicke’s developmental status. As one of the team’s higher-end prospects, Brunicke competed for a spot on the Penguins opening night lineup before the 2024-25 campaign started. Unfortunately, due to a wrist injury that limited him to 10 games for the AHL Penguins, Rorabaugh believes Brunicke is likely another year away from becoming a full-timer in Pittsburgh.
- According to a team announcement, the Philadelphia Flyers have extended their affiliate agreement with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. The extension will run through the 2026-27 ECHL season, and will serve as the 12th consecutive season the two organizations have held a partnership.