Mike Sullivan Has "Mixed Feeling's" As He Prepares To Face Off Against His Former Team On Opening-Night
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New York Rangers new head coach Mike Sullivan opens up on facing his former team for the first time, especially as it's during their opening-night.
For the first time Mike Sullivan will be facing off against his former team, as the New York Rangers regular-season opener is officially here, which means Sullivan will be facing off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on opening-night.
Certainly something he has strong feelings about considering he spent the last 10 seasons with Penguins, creating a strong bond with the players and even won two Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. However, that was all before he and the organization believed it was time to part ways on April 28 2025 after missing the playoffs for three straight seasons.
Mike Sullivan Get's Honest About Facing The Pittsburgh Penguins
Not long after Mike Sullivan parted ways with the Penguins, the New York Rangers and General Manager Chris Drury wasted no time and quickly signed Sullivan on May 2nd, and now thanks to the NHL, Sullivan will being facing off against his former team on opening night.
The NHL has decided that the opening-night to the 2025-26 season will begin with a triple header, one being the New York Rangers vs the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8:00PM.
However, here's what Mike Sullivan had to say about facing his former team:
«I haven't really thought about what it's going to be like. I'm sure there will be a lot of mixed emotions,» Sullivan said. «The relationships I built with those guys were strong. We had the privilege of winning a couple of championships together with some of those guys, and I think when you go through experiences like that, it certainly galvanizes relationships that last a lifetime.»
It will certainly be a very interesting game between the two Metropolitian Division teams, as there is a ton of talent on both sides. Along with Rangers fans getting to see if Drury's offseason additions can step up and help the team return to their Presidents Trophy form.
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