As a New York Rangers fan, I definitely appreciate what head coach Gerard Gallant has done for the team so far.
I believe that under his watch last season, the team overachieved as they got to within two wins of reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2014. He was also a nominee for the Jack Adams Award for his club’s success last season.
With that said, my favorite coach in the NHL is actually Pittsburgh Penguins bench boss Mike Sullivan. For starters, all he does is win.
As head coach of the Penguins, he has 321 career victories to go along with back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016-17. The last time the Penguins had a coach that decorated was back when the legendary Scotty Bowman led the team to a Cup in 1992 and the Presidents’ Trophy in 1993.
Secondly, Sullivan is as consistent as they come. Since jumping behind the team’s bench during the 2015-16 season, the Penguins have averaged close to 42 wins per season.
In looking at that particular number, it’s almost like guaranteeing a playoff spot for the team prior to the season even starting. Going into each year, you know that Sullivan’s team is going to win a lot of hockey games.
I also love Sullivan because he has been so good at getting his teams to be able to deal with adversity. Year in and year out, the Penguins seem to lose their superstars to various injuries, but that does not seem to slow his team down.
Last season is a great example of this. The team was without the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and several others at various points during the season, and the team still managed a way to finish the regular season with 103 points.
Simply put, I think Sullivan is an outstanding coach. Maybe one day, he will finally be rewarded with a Jack Adams Award!
