It seems that Mike Sullivan could have taken his hat out of the working for the Vancouver Canucks head teaching job earlier than it was even open.
With Tuesday’s information that Rick Tocchet would not be returning to the Canucks for 2025-26, some could have puzzled if Vancouver president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford would name up Sullivan, whom he employed in 2015 whereas serving as the Penguins normal supervisor.
Sullivan, after all, parted methods with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after steering the ship with Sidney Crosby and Co. for 10 seasons, which included two Stanley Cup victories.
However based mostly on a dialog Rutherford had with Sullivan on Monday, it looks as if a reunion between the two is unlikely at finest.
“Once you’re acquainted with any individual, you know the way they work, and there are positives and negatives,” Rutherford informed reporters Tuesday.
“I do know my good pal Mike Sullivan does not want to leave the East. He is an actual good household man,” he continued. “I talked to him yesterday — not about coming right here. Talked to him when he left Pittsburgh, and I do know he desires to keep in the East.”
Sullivan is not the solely lately let-go head coach that Rutherford has prior expertise with. Peter Laviolette, who was fired by the New York Rangers on April 19, served as Rutherford’s head coach with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2003 to 2009.
It is one other relationship that resulted in a Stanley Cup.
“As for Peter, we had some success collectively. I like him as an individual and a coach,” Rutherford stated. “Have not gotten that far but, however actually, having somebody you are acquainted with helps.
“However I am not the man on a day-to-day foundation that offers with the coach and does the day-to-day work. And that is going to be ‘who does Patrik Allvin cope with,’ and he did not work with Peter Laviolette. So, I would not want to take him off the checklist at this level, however he is had lots of success in the league and it is a good identify.”
Rutherford did say Abbotsford Canucks AHL coach Manny Malhotra can be on the staff’s brief checklist.
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