In the week since becoming the 38th head coach in New York Rangers history, Mike Sullivan has spent a lot of time on the phone, reaching out to nearly every player on the roster. These conversations are part of getting acquainted, but also a chance for Sullivan to emphasize a message he plans to reinforce throughout training camp: success isn’t achieved by talent alone.
“You don’t win just because you’re skilled,” Sullivan told MSG Network following his introductory press conference. “You have to become a cohesive team. You can’t rely solely on offense—you have to defend and keep the puck out of your net. If you value that and commit to it, you give yourself a real shot.”
Sullivan drew on his experience leading a star-studded Pittsburgh Penguins team—headlined by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang—that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, but hasn’t made it past the first round since 2018 and missed the playoffs the last three years. That experience reinforced a crucial lesson: talent doesn’t guarantee championships.
“I’ve seen both sides of it,” he said. “We had great moments in Pittsburgh, but also our share of setbacks. Winning in this league is incredibly difficult—it takes more than just talent. The Cup is there for anyone, but it has to be earned. That’s our mindset: earn it every single day.”
Given the 2023–24 Rangers’ occasional lapses in effort and consistency, Sullivan’s message seems especially relevant. The team still boasts a strong core, many of whom were key to deep playoff runs in 2022 and 2024.
Sullivan acknowledged that the Rangers’ high-end talent was a major reason the job appealed to him.
“Having coached against this team for years, I’ve developed a real respect for the players in that locker room,” he said. “Their talent and potential are exciting, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Mike Sullivan hopes to ‘inspire’ Rangers best players this coming season
Words are important—but as Mike Sullivan knows, results and accountability matter even more.
The newly appointed Rangers coach, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, brings strong convictions and championship pedigree. But his final seasons in Pittsburgh were far from flawless. In fact, the Penguins were even more defensively undisciplined than the 2024-25 Rangers—a team that collapsed in its own zone under Peter Laviolette’s man-on-man defensive scheme, ultimately missing the playoffs just a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
Sullivan acknowledged the ups and downs of his Penguins tenure and emphasized that a team’s success depends on total commitment. That includes buy-in from high-end offensive talents like Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, whose contributions will need to extend beyond the scoresheet.
Sullivan believes there’s a strong leadership foundation in the Rangers’ locker room. He specifically cited his experience coaching Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck, J.T. Miller, and Chris Kreider at the 4 Nations Face-Off, calling them “fierce competitors” with a relentless drive to win.
“There’s a responsibility that comes with being one of the top players,” Sullivan said. “When players embrace that, they position themselves to reach their full potential. I saw that with Sid \[Crosby]—he set the standard every day. That’s what I’ll be looking to inspire here in New York.”
Sullivan plans to have meaningful conversations with the team’s core leadership and top performers, challenging them to elevate their games and lead by example. The message is clear: success in New York won’t be earned by talent alone—it will require daily commitment, unity, and a willingness to defend.
