GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Mike Sullivan said during his introductory press conference Thursday that in less than a week since being hired, he has spoken to almost all the New York Rangers players to introduce himself and let them know how excited he is to be their new coach.
"The one takeaway that I have from those conversations is I think there's a fair amount of leadership in that room," Sullivan said. "I think there's a lot of character in that room just based on the initial conversations that I've had with these guys."
Sullivan's job is to test the character and resolve of the Rangers players, to push them out of their own comfort zones, to challenge the leaders and make the team better because he was hired to win the Stanley Cup. Period. Full stop.
Forget about what happened this season, New York's second and last under former coach Peter Laviolette, who was fired April 19. Forget about failing to meet expectations, becoming the fourth team in NHL history to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs the season after winning the Presidents' Trophy.
None of that matters to Sullivan, who was hired Friday, four days after he and the Pittsburgh Penguins mutually agreed to part ways after nearly a decade together.
"The second Mike was available, we quickly and aggressively pursued him," Rangers general manager and president Chris Drury said.
The Rangers did because they believe Sullivan is the catalyst that can and will get them back to being a championship contender as soon as next season.
"I think they're a really talented group and I think they've been knocking on the door to the Stanley Cup for a number of years now," Sullivan said of the Rangers. "Every time we played against this group of players, they've been fierce battles. I've grown so much respect over the years for the talent that the Rangers have. I look forward to the opportunity to get know some of these guys on a more personal level. I look forward to the opportunity to work with them both on the ice and off the ice to try to become the most competitive team we can become and ultimately challenge for the Stanley Cup. That's why we're all in it."
In Sullivan's time in Pittsburgh, which began Dec. 12, 2015, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup twice (2016 and 2017) and reached the playoffs seven years in a row from 2016-22 before missing the past three seasons as the team began its transition into a re-tool or rebuild.
The Penguins had the seventh most regular-season wins (409) and points (907), tied for the third best goals per game (3.23), fourth best power play (22.0 percent) and were No. 10 on the penalty kill (80.5 percent). They won 45 playoff games.
Sullivan wouldn't discuss how or why his time with the Penguins ended, but the 57-year-old addressed how his experience in Pittsburgh could help him with the Rangers.
"Having the ability to spend a decade with some of the people that I was able to work with there, some of the players I was able to coach there, I just think you take so much from those types of experiences," Sullivan said. "I hope to bring those experiences here to New York that can help me be a better coach for this group of players, that can help us be as competitive as we can. We're going to try to push these guys every day to maximize the potential that exists here, and we'll see where that takes us.
"I know there's a lot of talent in the dressing room, but as we all know talent alone doesn't win championships. Teams win championships and I think that's going to be our challenge from Day 1 is to become a team."
Sullivan comes to the Rangers as an outsider who has a great deal of knowledge about the team and players he's been hired to coach.
He has coached against the Rangers in the same division for a decade and faced them in the playoffs in 2022. In February, he coached four Rangers players -- forwards J.T. Miller, Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck, and defenseman Adam Fox -- for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Sullivan will also be the U.S. head coach at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
"What I learned about those four guys in particular is that they're fierce competitors," Sullivan said. "They want to win in the worst way and those are the types of guys that I get excited about working with."
Miller, Trocheck, Kreider and Fox make up a big chunk of the Rangers' current leadership core, joined by forwards Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, and goalie Igor Shesterkin.
It's possible some of that leadership group could change between now and Day 1 of training camp next season, but Sullivan's job remains the same.
He was hired to win the Stanley Cup.
"The Stanley Cup for all intents and purposes is anybody's trophy," Sullivan said. "You've got to go out and earn it. That, for me, is what I'm excited about with this group here in New York. As I say to the players all the time, nothing is inevitable in this game, you've got to go out there and earn it every day. That's what we're going to do. That's what the expectation is going to be, earn it every day through our actions."
