A first NHL gig for David Carle? A reunion with Rick Tocchet? Both could potentially be on the table as the Penguins search for Sullivan’s replacement.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in need of a new head coach.
The Penguins said when general manager Kyle Dubas announced Mike Sullivan’s departure on Monday that the search for a new head coach would “begin immediately.”
Here’s a look at few of the top candidates the Penguins could consider heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
David Carle, University of Denver
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that Carle had “withdrawn from consideration” to become the next head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks after the Hawks made an “aggressive” attempt to hire him.
Friedman then went on to say on his 32 Thoughts podcast there was “definitely still plenty of interest in Carle across the league,” but that it is “likely” he returns to Denver.
Carle hasn’t ruled out making the jump to the NHL. If he turned down the Blackhawks because of the franchise’s place in their rebuild, the chance to work with vets like Sidney Crosby could potentially help draw him to Pittsburgh.
Carle, who took over the Pioneers program in 2018, has a 179-73-17 overall record and 12-2 NCAA Tournament mark in seven seasons. He led Denver the NCAA titles in 2022 and 2024 and coached Team USA to back-to-back World Juniors gold medals in 2024 and 2025. At 35, he would be the youngest coach in the NHL.
Rick Tocchet, Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks declined a one-year option on Tocchet’s expiring contract and offered him a new, larger deal to stay in Vancouver. Former Penguins general manager and current Canucks president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford told reporters last Monday that the franchise expected Tocchet’s decision last week, but Friedman recently reported there had been no decision made as of Sunday.
Friedman went on to say on the 32 Thoughts podcast that one of Tocchet’s concerns is the Canucks’ lack of a practice facility. As reported by The Province’s Patrick Johnston, the Canucks have been planning building that facility since at least 2010, but have yet to follow through.
Tocchet, hired by the Canucks in January 2023 to take over for Bruce Boudreau, led the Canucks to the franchise’s first 50-win season since the Sedin era in 2024. He previously worked as an assistant coach for the Penguins from 2014 to 2017 and earned his first NHL coaching job in Arizona following his second Stanley Cup win with the franchise.
The connection to Pittsburgh, as well as Tocchet’s reported dissatisfaction with at least one aspect of the Canucks job, could make him a potential fit in Pittsburgh.
David Quinn, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins parted ways with assistants Mike Vellucci, Ty Hennesee and Andy Chiodo alongside Sullivan, Dubas told reporters Monday. Assistant coach David Quinn remains under contract with the team, Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported.
Quinn, who previously coached the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks, was hired to replace Todd Rierden and oversee the Pens’ defense ahead of the 2024-25 season. The Penguins blue line ranked 30th in the league by allowing 3.5 goals against per game last season.
On the other hand, Quinn coached Rangers teams that ended up with back-to-back No. 1 draft picks after the 2019 and 2020 seasons, which could be an appealing stat for those eyeing WHL phenom Gavin McKenna in 2026.
Other potential candidates
The NHL head coaching carousel has also left John Tortorella (fired by the Philadelphia Flyers after GM Daniel Briere said the franchise had hit “rock bottom” in its rebuild in March) and Peter Laviolette (fired by the New York Rangers after the team missed the playoffs one year after winning the President’s Trophy) in need of jobs.
These are two of the most NHL-experienced coaches looking for jobs this offseason. Still, Tortorella expressed disinterest in coaching a rebuilding team toward the end of his tenure with the Flyers, and Laviolette showed a tendency to bench young players in his last season with the Rangers. Those could both serve as concerns as the Penguins look for multiple prospects to potentially make the jump to the NHL next season.
Former Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has technically been able to seek league employment since the NHL’s ban regarding the franchise’s response to an allegation of sexual assault in 2010 expired last July. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski recently reported that some people around the league aren’t sure if he’ll be returning next fall.
Apparently not in consideration is Kirk MacDonald of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, according to Dubas. The Pens general manager said he wants MacDonald to continue developing in the AHL, per NHL.com’s Wes Crosby.
MacDonald, formerly a USHL coach, led the WBS Pens to a playoff berth and the program’s first 40-win season since 2018 in his first AHL season. Given his familiarity with some of the top prospects the Penguins want to take a look at during training camp, he would have made sense as a candidate to take over for Sullivan.