Mike Sullivan is one of the most established coaches in the NHL, but even he learns something new every single day on the job.
After winning two Stanley Cups and coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins for 10 years, Sullivan still feels he has so much to learn about the game of hockey.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of that (coaching) journey is the learning process,” Sullivan said. “What is the next frontier? What is the new move? It might be on the ice tactically. It might be the sports science. It might be all the analytics. It might be in the human performance space. Mental health. Helping players with their states of mind off the ice so they are in the right head space when the puck drops. How they deal with confidence issues. Relationship stuff.
“There are so many things involved in coaching, and that is what makes it, number one, so difficult, but also so rewarding. None of us have it figured out, and those that think they do, they obviously don’t.”
Throughout his years in the NHL, the sport has evolved, and Sullivan has had to adapt to it.
“It is essential. The minute you think you have it figured out as a coach, you are dead in the water,” Sullivan said. “The game is in constant evolution. It changes all the time. It changes a number of different ways. It can be coaches’ staffs that come up with and design different tactics. A lot of times it is the savants of the game, the players themselves. The game evolves through them with some of their creativity and the things they do on the ice.
“As a coach if you ever have an inclination to say I have arrived, it may be time to step away. It is a journey. You don’t ever arrive. You just don’t. It is a journey.”
Now, Mike Sullivan is set for his next challenge of coaching the New York Rangers.
Sullivan is tasked with turning around a Rangers team that didn’t make the playoffs last season, while also helping change the culture in the organization and building a strong foundation.
Just as he always does though, Sullivan will look to adapt to his new situation and make a lasting impact in New York just like he did in Pittsburgh.