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NHL Rumors: Rangers' $2.1B rivals 'made a play' for Mike Sullivan before New York hire, claims insider

Modified May 02, 2025 16:31 GMT

Mike Sullivan has already found a new home. After less than a week spent as a free agent on the open market, Sullivan was officially hired to become the next head coach of the New York Rangers on Friday morning.

Speculation around the league had all signs pointing towards the 57-year-old landing in the Big Apple, so it's no surprise to hear the official announcement.

However, according to reports, one of the Rangers' rivals tried to beat them to the punch last offseason. The New Jersey Devils, worth $2.1 billion per Forbes, made a push to pry Mike Sullivan away from Pittsburgh last summer, but the longtime Penguins bench boss was not ready to leave at that time.

TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun broke down the Sullivan sweepstakes and shared his understanding of the situation on X (formerly Twitter).

"A year ago, the Devils made a play for Mike Sullivan but he wasn’t ready to leave Pittsburgh yet. Timing is everything, as the rival Rangers get him a year later. Devils are happy with Sheldon Keefe, don’t get me wrong, but it’s still interesting how it played out," LeBrun wrote.

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Sullivan's contract with the New York Rangers will reportedly be a five-year deal that will make him the highest-paid coach in NHL history. He had two years remaining on the three-year contract extension signed with the Penguins in 2022, prior to the parting of ways.

Mike Sullivan will coach some familiar faces in New York

Mike Sullivan has some familiarity with several of the Rangers' core players.

He notably coached J.T. Miller, Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off and will also lead the Americans at the 2026 Winter Olympics. All of the players raved about Sullivan's coaching style and leadership at the tournament, which will be beneficial as he transitions to a new team.

While this Rangers team may not possess a prime Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, they have plenty of high-end talent that Mike Sullivan will look to get the best out of, as he's shown to be capable of doing throughout his coaching career.

Sullivan is now tasked with helping push the Blueshirts over the hump and bringing the Stanley Cup back to New York for the first time since the 1993-94 season. Expectations will be high, though he's thrived under the pressure many times before.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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