Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant Coaches and Coaching Staff

Mike Sullivan became the head coach of Pittsburgh Penguins on 12 December 2015. The 2023-24 season be his ninth season with the team. 

Sullivan managed to lead the team to consecutive Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017 after joining the Penguins. This feat made him the first American-born coach to win multiple cups in the NHL.

He also has two division championships under his belt and a career NHL coaching record of 321-187-81. He was the second head coach after Toe Blake to win his first two seasons with the team behind the bench.

Sullivan began his coaching career in 2002 with the AHL team Providence Bruins. He managed to compile an impressive record of 47-17-9-4 before beginning his career in the NHL as the Boston Bruins' head coach in 2003.

Before joining the Penguins organization he served as the assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks. He had served in the same capacity for the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning as well.

After he was fired by the Canucks on May 2014, Mike joined the Blackhawks as the development coach. The same season Chicago would go on to win the Stanley Cup leaving Sullivan with 3 Stanley Cups under his belt.

Sullivan led one of the most dramatic turnarounds in history guiding the team from ninth place in the Eastern Conference to the second-best record in the conference. He went on to become the third coach in team history to win 50 games in the 2016-17 season.

Moreover, he also has international coaching experience under his belt. Mike served as the assistant coach for the United States at the 2006 Olympics and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was the Head Coach for the American team at the 2007 World Championship.

The Pittsburgh Penguins coaches for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season are: 

Todd Reirden

Todd Reirden began his coaching career in 2007 with Bowling Green State University. He then joined the Penguins organization one year later.

He first worked as an assistant and then the head coach for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton. He was with the Wilkes-Barre from 2008 -2010 before becoming the Penguins assistant coach. 

During his time as the assistant coach Reirden worked with the team's defensemen and power play units. He worked as an assistant coach for 4 years before joining the Washington Capitals in 2014.

Todd was with the Capitals for 6 years and spent his last two seasons as the head coach. Moreover, he also won a Stanley Cup championship as the associate coach in 2018.

Mike Vellucci

Velluci joined the Pittsburgh franchise in 2019-20. He spent a season in the dual role of GM and the head coach of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton.

He was officially named as the assistant coach of the Penguins in the 2020-21 season. Mike began his coaching career in 1994 with the NAHL team Compuware Ambassadors

Vellucci has 20-plus years of coaching experience across the NHL, AHL, NAHL, and OHL. He served as the Head Coach for the Ambassadors and even led the team to back-to-back NAHL titles.

Ty Hennes

Ty Hennes has been with the Penguins since 2018 when he joined as the Skating/Skills Coach. Hennes, widely regarded as one of the best skill coaches in the league was the Pittsburgh Penguins' new coach last season after his promotion to Assistant coach on November 22, 2022.

Hennes has played college hockey for the Boston College Eagles for four years and helped them reach the NCAA tournament 3 times. 

He began with coaching high school and worked as a regional Manager between 2013 and 2015 for the Amateur Development Model (ADM).

Andy Chiodo

Andy Chiodo began with the Ottowa 67's of the OHL in 2017. After a season in the Ontario Hockey League, he joined the Penguins in 2018.

He was responsible for coaching the Penguins' prospects in the minor leagues, juniors, college hockey, and the franchise affiliates in Europe.

Chiodo was promoted as the goaltending coach for the Penguins in 2021. This was his second time with the team and first time as a staff member. He had played 8 games in the NHL all with the Penguins throughout his career as a player.

Madison Nikkel

Madison Nikkel has been with the Penguins since August 2019. He previously served three years as the Assistant Video Coach for the franchise.

Nikkel was then promoted to the Video Coach in August 2022. He also worked as a video coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earlier.

CJ D'Alimonte

D'Alimonte joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in January 2021. He joined the Penguins as the Assistant Video Coach in July of 2022.

CJ, before his time with the Penguins, was the video Coach for Mississauga Steelheads for 2018-19 and the Soo Grey Hounds Hockey Club from September 2019 to 2020.

There have already been 22 head coaches in the history of the Penguins. George "Red" Sullivan was the first head coach of the franchise.

Bob Johnson was the first coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins to win a Stanley Cup for the team. He won the Cup in 1991 but was forced to retire because of health reasons after the season. Sadly, he passed away later that year.

Scotty Bowman succeded Johnson leading the team to its second Stanley Cup in 1992. He also went on to win the President's Trophy in 1993 and had a record of 164 games played with 95 wins and 53 losses in his time with the Penguins. 

Another trophy-winning coach would come around a decade later for the club in 2008 in the form of Michel Therrien. Therrien won the Prince of Wales Trophy and had been with the club from 2005 - 2009  with a record of 272 games with 135 wins and 105 losses.

The following season would be another big one for the club with the new coach Dan Bylsma leading the franchise to their third Stanley Cup Championship in 2009. Bylsma went on to win the won the Jack Adams Award in 2011.

Bylsma, the Pittsburgh Penguins coach fired after the 2013-14 season was succeded by Michael Sullivan. He is the only coach to lead the team to two consecutive Stanley Cup championships.

Kyle Dubas is the GM and president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jason Spezza serves as the assistant general manager.

Dubas became the general manager succeeding Ron Hextall who was the GM of the team for 2 seasons. Kyle began his career as a Hockey staff in 2002 for the Soo Greyhounds as the team Scout in the OHL.

He then became the GM of the Soo Greyhounds in 201. Dubas, 25 at the time of his hiring became the second-youngest GM in OHL history.

During his time as the GM of the Greyhounds 14 players were drafted into the NHL, the second most among all OHL teams during that time.

Dubas joined the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in 2014 as the Assistant GM for the Leafs and the GM of the AHL team Toronto Marlies.

He became the GM for the Maple Leafs in 2018. Another hiring record was made by Dubas when he became the second youngest GM in NHL history at the age of 32. 

During Dubas' tenure as the GM for the Leafs, the team put together a record of 221-109-42 ranking fifth in the league in wins. Three of the 5 best regular seasons in Maple Leafs history by points and point percentage came during his 5 years with the team.

Another achievement of Dubas is leading the Toronto Marlies to their first Calder Cup Championship in 2017-18. The Marlies won 2 Mcgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL's regular season champions in 2015-16 and 2017-18 throughout his 4 years as the team's GM.

Jason Spezza was named the Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Manager on June 14, 2023. Spezza was with Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs as the special assistant to the GM last season.