Penguins hire Rangers assistant Dan Muse to replace Mike Sullivan as head coach
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dan Muse is the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins hired the former New York Rangers assistant on Wednesday, tasking him with helping the franchise navigate a rebuild during the twilight of longtime captain Sidney Crosby's career.
Muse replaces Mike Sullivan. Sullivan and the Penguins split in April after a nearly decade-long tenure that included a pair of Stanley Cup titles. The Rangers quickly scooped up Sullivan, naming him their coach in early May.
The 42-year-old Muse was hired after a monthlong search by Penguins general manager and director of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. Muse's hiring leaves the Boston Bruins as the last of eight teams with offseason head coaching vacancies.
Dubas said the team met with 'many candidates' before deciding on Muse, who has spent the last half-decade as an assistant at the NHL level. Muse also has a track record as a cultivator of talent and served as the head coach of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program from 2020-23.
'What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL,' Dubas said. 'From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.'
Muse takes over a team in transition. The era defined by franchise icons Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang is closing. One of the league's marquee teams has missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons following a 16-year run as a fixture in the chase for the Stanley Cup.
Dubas, hired in the summer of 2023 to oversee this transition, has spent most of the last two years stockpiling draft picks. The Penguins have 30 selections over the next three drafts, including 18 over the first three rounds.
While Dubas is likely to use some of the picks to trade for NHL-ready players, he has stressed the club's need to get younger and that the club's next core will need to continue to develop once they reach hockey's highest level, as Crosby, Malkin and Letang did when they reached the league in the mid-to-late 2000s.
Enter Muse, who has been part of coaching staffs that have won titles in the NCAA and United States Hockey League, as well as at the U18 and U20 world championships. When he reached the NHL in 2017 with Nashville, he oversaw a penalty-kill unit that was among the league's best. He produced similar results when he took over a similar role with the Rangers in 2023.
'His overall body of work, attention to detail and vision for our group showed us that he is the best coach to take our team forward,' Dubas said.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
recommended
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rangers track forwards as King nears St Mirren move
Forwards on Rangers' radar as Jamaica defender closes in on St Mirren move... Rangers are tracking Westerlo forward Matija Frigan, 22, while a move for Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman, 21, remains on. (Record) Advertisement But Rangers have been told to up their £4m offer for Turgeman. (Football Scotland) St Mirren are set to sign Jamaica defender Richard King, 23, after agreeing a fee with his club Cavalier. (Record) But a move to St Mirren is not on for Bournemouth goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, 22. (Herald - subscription required) Free agent goalkeeper Ross Doohan, 27, cut short his holiday to join up with the Scotland squad for Monday's friendly with Liechtenstein. (Scotsman - subscription required) Liechtenstein head coach Konrad Funfstuck wishes he "had those kind of problems" as he laughed off Scotland's goalkeeping crisis. (Sun) Advertisement Lewis Ferguson insists there will be no panic from Scotland as they take on Liechtenstein in Vaduz on Monday evening three days on from losing at home to Iceland. (Herald - subscription required) Former St Johnstone assistant Andy Kirk has replaces Colin Cameron as Barry Robson's assistant at Raith Rovers. (Courier - subscription required)
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Abbotsford Canucks Penalty Kill Must Step Up In Crucial Game 6 Versus The Texas Stars
The Abbotsford Canucks are one win away from history. If they can defeat the Texas Stars on Sunday, they will punch their ticket to the 2025 Calder Cup Final. While Abbotsford has had a strong series so far, one area that needs improving is their penalty kill, which has been problematic over the past three games. Entering into the Western Conference Final, the Canucks penalty kill was almost unbeatable. They allowed only one goal in the first three rounds and, at one point, killed off 30 straight power plays. Flash forward to this series, and Abbotsford has allowed four goals in five games while posting a kill percentage of just 75%. Advertisement The Canucks penalty kill issues started in Game 3 when the series shifted to Texas. All four goals against have come on the road, with Game 3 featuring not just two failed penalty kills, but also two shorthanded goals allowed. While it was unlikely that Abbotsford was going to keep operating at over 95% on the penalty kill through the entire post-season, their inability to stop the Stars' power play over the last three games has become an issue. One factor that could be impacting the Canucks penalty kill is the amount of penalties they are taking. Through the five games, Abbotsford has been shorthanded 16 times, with 11 of those coming on the road. While it may seem like a simple statement, the Canucks need to find a way to stay out of the box, as they are giving Texas too many power play chances on a nightly basis. Latest From THN's Vancouver Canucks Site: Vancouver Canucks Draft Class Throwback: 2022 Advertisement Vancouver Canucks 2025 NHL Draft Target: Braeden Cootes How Former Vancouver Canuck Vasily Podkolzin Went From Scoring Droughts To The Stanley Cup Finals The good news for Abbotsford is that the final two games of this series are at home, where they are a perfect 28 for 28 on the penalty kill. That being said, they may need to switch up their strategy, as it is clear that the Stars have found ways to expose the Canucks penalty killers. In the end, if Abbotsford wants to punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Final, their penalty kill will need to come up big on Sunday in Game 6. Abbotsford Canucks vs Texas Stars (Photo Credit: @TheAHL on Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Makes Big Career Decision: Report
Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Makes Big Career Decision: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After breaking the legendary Wayne Gretzky's longstanding record for most career goals, few would blame Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin if he decided to call it a career. Advertisement There has been plenty of speculation about what the future holds for the 39-year-old Russian, and Capitals fans got a little scare last week when an email sent out referring to the 2025-26 season as Ovechkin's last — a decision the team quickly addressed as inaccurate. 'No decision has been made on Alex Ovechkin's future following the 2025-26 NHL season. An email was sent from an individual with the corporate sales department that mistakenly alluded to next year being Alex Ovechkin's final year,' the team wrote on X. Though Ovechkin has yet to make an official decision about how many more years—if any—he plans to play in the NHL, the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner (NHL MVP award) has reportedly decided when his next hockey game will be, and it's sooner than some fans might think. Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring career goal 888 at Capital One Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images In a recent interview with Russian news outlet Match TV, Utah Mammoth defenseman and fellow countryman Mikhail Sergachev disclosed that Ovechkin will play in the second annual 'Match of the Year' between all-stars from the NHL and the Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on July 13. Advertisement Ovechkin's reported decision is a big one given it could be the final time he plays in international competition given the Russian national team has been banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, due to the country's ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The first iteration of the NHL-KHL exhibition happened last year at CSKA Arena in Moscow and ended in an 8-8 tie, but Ovechkin made quite an impact, scoring the game's first goal and winning MVP. Ovechkin, who scored 44 goals and 73 points in 65 games this season, is back in Russia for the offseason having flown back at the end of May after the Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes. Next year is the last on Ovechkin's contract with the Capitals. Barring a contract extension being signed between now and next offseason, Ovechkin will hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026. Advertisement Ovechkin has expressed a desire to finish his professional hockey career with Dynamo Moscow, the KHL team he began his career with and played for back in the 2012-13 season during the NHL lockout. Related: Sidney Crosby Sends 6-Word Alex Ovechkin Warning After Capitals Season Ends This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
