'Cup family is forever:' Ex-Pens coach Mike Sullivan takes out billboards to thank city
Former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan plastered a parting message this week on a handful of billboards around the city.
“Thank you, Pittsburgh,” they read. “Cup family is forever.”
The signs feature a photo of Sullivan lifting the Stanley Cup, a feat he accomplished back-to-back behind the Penguins bench in 2016 and 2017.
To: Pittsburgh
???????? Sully pic.twitter.com/mTsTaEkdgp
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 28, 2025
Sullivan coached the Penguins for 10 seasons, leading them to the playoffs in the first seven. He and the team parted ways in April after three consecutive disappointing years, culminating in a 2024-25 season where the team won their fewest games in nearly 20 years.
He left the Penguins having won and coached the most games in Penguins history at 409 and 753, respectively.
Sullivan will still make occasional trips to Pittsburgh after taking a head coaching gig with the New York Rangers, a Metropolitan Division rival, in May.
The Penguins have yet to hire Sullivan’s replacement.
Jack Troy is a TribLive reporter covering business and health care. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in January 2024 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at
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