Rangers name Mike Sullivan as 38th head coach in franchise history

It didn’t take long for Mike Sullivan to find his next job.

The New York Rangers announced on Friday that the club has agreed to terms with long-time NHL coach Mike Sullivan on a multi-year deal.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Kevin Weekes first reported the deal.

This isn’t Sullivan’s first trip to the Big Apple. He served as an assistant coach from 2009-13 before joining the Vancouver Canucks for a one-year stint in 2013-14.

Sullivan and the Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to part ways last Monday, ending the second-longest active tenure in the league. Pittsburgh had missed the playoffs for the third straight season, something the team hasn’t done since Sidney Crosby’s first year in the league. The Penguins’ 34-36-12 record marked the first time since 2005-06 that the team finished below .500.

“Mike Sullivan has established himself as one of the premier head coaches in the NHL,” Rangers GM Chris Drury said in a news release. “Given his numerous accomplishments throughout his coaching career – including two Stanley Cups and leading Team USA at the international level – Mike brings a championship-level presence behind the bench.”

Sullivan was named head coach of the Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in 2015-16, and a few months later, took over as bench boss of the NHL club after Mike Johnston was let go. Later that season, he led the team to its first Stanley Cup championship since 2009. He followed that up with another Stanley Cup championship, becoming the first team of the 21st century to win back-to-back championships.

Sullivan also served as the head coach of the Boston Bruins for two seasons from 2003 to 2006.

In 14 seasons as an NHL head coach, Sullivan has a record of 479-311-15-112 in 917 career games behind the bench. He’s also compiled a 47-42 record as a head coach in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.