NHL Coaches Sitting on Hot Seats

Not many coaches around the NHL are close to losing their jobs, but there are some obvious possibilities.

Nov 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan voices his displeasure over a call against the New Jersey Devils during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports / Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Heading into every NHL season, it’s fair to wonder what coaches may be sitting on a hot seat. Especially lately, the firing and hiring of coaches has been fast and furious for much of the league.

The 2024-25 season might be the safest coaches have ever been in the NHL with only four having tenures predating the COVID-19 outbreak. Of those four, only one might feel his seat warm if the ship doesn’t get straightened out.

Since the 2023-24 regular season ended, seven teams have named new head coaches, while one (the Columbus Blue Jackets) is still hunting for its new bench boss. Five more coaches were named to their positions during the season.

There are 32 teams in the NHL, and nearly half of them will have a coach heading into their first full season with their organization.

So, with so much turnover in recent years, who’s sitting on a hot seat?

Mike Sullivan – Pittsburgh Penguins

This feels like the most apparent answer since the Pittsburgh Penguins have underachieved every season since 2018 and missed the playoffs each of the last two years. However, the Penguins firmly believe Mike Sullivan is the right guy to lead them back to glory.

Ownership may have had a lot to do with a contract extension signed two years in advance, but even that may be on thinner ice. Shortly before the opening of free agency, co-head of Fenway Sports Group and the alternate governor of the Penguins, David Beeston, stepped down from his position. Maybe that starts to fracture the working relationship between Sullivan and Fenway.

Kyle Dubas is about to enter his second year as Penguins president and general manager. He wants to see the team he’s almost completely revamped succeed and do so in short order. If Sullivan can’t pull through and improve, seeing Dubas hand out some walking papers won't be surprising.

Sullivan does, however, have the support of his country. USA Hockey announced that Sullivan would head coach Team USA in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

 Andre Tourigny - Utah Hockey Club

Hired in 2021 by the Arizona Coyotes, Andre Tourigny is retaining his position as the franchise moves to Utah. In their few short months of existence, the Utah Hockey Club has already made it clear they want to put a winner on the ice.

Tourigny likely isn’t the right voice behind the bench. In three seasons with the Coyotes, Tourigny held an 89-131-26 record and never came close to sniffing the playoffs. Finishing eighth, seventh, and seventh in those three seasons, it’s curious how he kept his job through the transition.

Like players, maybe a change of scenery will change Tourigny's momentum. He was chosen to head coach Team Canada for the 2024 IIHF World Championship, but they finished without a medal.

Things look much brighter for the Arizona/Utah organization, but they may have to soon move forward with a new bench boss.

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