Nine NHL teams have a new coach.
Here's what to expect from the changes
[September 25, 2025]
By STEPHEN WHYNO
When Mike Sullivan's time in Pittsburgh came to an end after nearly
a decade behind the bench produced two Stanley Cup championships, he
became the most-sought after coach on the market.
With plenty of vacancies around the NHL, Sullivan had his pick of
the litter. He landed with the New York Rangers, tasked with taking
over an Original Six franchise that missed last season's playoffs
but is loaded with talent.
Sullivan has coached Sidney Crosby and was picked by USA Hockey to
lead the country at the upcoming Olympics in Milan. Starting this
journey with the Rangers had him struggling to find a way to capture
his emotions.
“This is a new challenge for me,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard for me
to express in words how excited I am about this challenge and about
this opportunity.”
Sullivan is one of nine coaches with a new challenge in front of
him. A look at the changes for nearly a third of the league and what
to expect:
Mike Sullivan, Rangers
Sullivan made trips over the summer to begin building personal
relationships with his players. The 57-year-old from Massachusetts
wanted to get to know players away from the rink and vice versa.
When it comes to hockey, Sullivan's straightforward approach is
evident.
“Obviously a good pedigree,” defenseman Carson Soucy said. “He’s
intense, very detail-focused and he wants to win.”
The Rangers haven't won it all since 1994 but reached the Eastern
Conference final in 2024.
Joel Quenneville, Ducks
Quenneville is back in the league with Anaheim, four years since
resigning from Florida in the wake of an investigation into
Chicago’s 2010 sexual assault allegations. Quenneville said at his
introductory news conference he understands those who question is
return and will "demonstrate (by) my actions that I am a man of
character.”
The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup three times with Quenneville as
their coach. Only Scotty Bowman has more NHL wins.
“Just to have a voice like that behind the bench guiding and leading
our team, we got a good mix of some veterans and some young guys, so
I think it’s a great hire and I’m really, really excited to play for
him,” winger Sam Colangelo said.
Rick Tocchet, Flyers
Tocchet was nearly as prized as Sullivan after he decided not to
renew his contract in Vancouver. Philadelphia is a homecoming of
sorts for Tocchet, who played over 700 games in orange and black
during separate stints.
“Him being back in Philly and wanting to be there and picking us,
his excitement for where we’re headed, I think it excites us as a
team and kind of the growth that we’re about to take,” defenseman
Travis Sanheim said. “He’s already a step ahead. He already knows
the organization, the city, the fans and so I think that’s going
benefit us moving forward.”
Glen Gulutzan, Stars
Dallas fired Peter DeBoer following three consecutive trips to the
West final. Pulling franchise goaltender Jake Oettinger in the
series-deciding loss and his handling of it afterward played a part.
“You never want to see anyone lose their job,” Oettinger said. “It’s
a tough business and with how good we’ve been the last three years,
it’s tough. ... Looking forward to getting a fresh start."
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Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan responds to questions during a
news conference at the NHL hockey team's headquarters, Wednesday,
Sept. 17, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
That comes with Gulutzan, rehired 12 years after
being fired by the Stars his first time around. Gulutzan the past
seven seasons has been an assistant in Edmonton, where he ran the
power play and earned praise from Connor McDavid for his
communication skills.
Marco Sturm, Bruins
Playing over 1,000 games in the NHL, coaching Germany at the
Olympics and spending multiple years as a Los Angeles Kings
assistant didn't prepare Sturm for taking over in Boston. It took
three full seasons running a bench with Ontario of the American
Hockey League to be ready.
“This is the time,” Sturm said. “Timing is everything. And I
couldn’t end up in a better spot than Boston.”
Jeff Blashill, Blackhawks
Connor Bedard, the top pick in 2023, might finally have a long-term
coach after Chicago fired Luke Richardson last December and played
out the season with Anders Sorensen in an interim role. Blashill
gets his second head-coaching job in the league after seven years
with Detroit from 2015-22.
“We’re excited to have him,” Bedard said. “He’s thrilled to be with
us. He’s showing a ton of excitement.”
Lane Lambert, Kraken
Dan Bylsma lasted one season in Seattle after he was promoted from
the minors to replace Dave Hakstol. Lambert, fired in January 2024
by the New York Islanders, is tasked with getting the Kraken back to
respectability.
“He brings a structure, an emphasis on structure that we desperately
need a little bit,” captain Jordan Eberle said.
Dan Muse, Penguins
Muse, who was an assistant under former Rangers coach Peter
Laviolette, takes over with Pittsburgh nearing a crossroads. Sidney
Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are still around but a youth
movement is coming. Muse has caught players' attention.
"I came and grabbed dinner here at the rink,” Letang said. “When I
left, I think it was 8 o’clock and he was still on his computer
working on some stuff. So there you go. You see the passion that he
has for the game and trying to work on every little detail to make
us better and improve every single guy out there.”
Adam Foote, Canucks
Tocchet's exit opened a void for the Canucks, who would love to
convince elite defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes to stick around
beyond the end of his current contract in 2027. Hughes said he had
his two best seasons with Foote, a former defenseman, as an
assistant, but that guarantees nothing.
“It’s different being a head coach," Hughes said. “I’m sure there’s
going to be challenges as a first-year head coach that he’s going
face, just like anyone else would. But I think he’s prepared for
it.”
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AP Sports Writers Will Graves in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania,
and Jimmy Golen in Boston contributed.
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