Evolution has been key for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan's career

Rick Bowness had a feeling Mike Sullivan could be a coach.

Maybe even before Sullivan did.

The last four seasons of Sullivan’s playing career as a bottom-six checking center came in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Bowness was an assistant coach for three of those seasons and had a strong guess as to what Sullivan’s next career would be.

“I coached him in Phoenix,” said Bowness, currently the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets. “And you knew he’d be one of those guys if he gets into coaching, he’s going to be very successful because he understands the game, he knows the game. And he’s obviously able to teach the game.”

Tuesday’s meeting between the Penguins and Jets at PPG Paints Arena — which the hosts won 3-0 — was the 800th game in Sullivan’s career as a head coach.

Installed as head coach of the Penguins in December 2015, Sullivan has recorded 636 games behind the Penguins’ bench after logging 164 contests in the mid-2000s with the Boston Bruins.

In reality, 800 games aren’t all that more significant than 799 games (or any less than 801 games).

But given the tenuous nature of the vocation, being around for that many games is profound.

As the cliche goes, coaches are hired to be fired.

The Marshfield, Mass., native has learned a lot since he was fired by his hometown Bruins in 2006.

“Those of us that are part of the coaching fraternity, you really have to love what you do because the challenges are vast,” Sullivan said Monday. “Usually, we’re on the front lines when things don’t go the right way. That’s what we sign up for, and that’s part of what we do.”

Communication is a vital component of the gig.

“The first thing I noticed about him is just the way he speaks,” former Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson said last year. “He’s really, really good at formulating sentences. That can sound really stupid, but when you’re ad-libbing and trying to explain something, it can be difficult to formulate a sentence that makes sense and not have a bunch of ‘ums’ or ‘uhs.’ He doesn’t say them very often. He’s very good at doing that. That helps get his message across very clearly.”

Being frank is an effective method, too.

“He’s honest and up front,” Penguins forward Sidney Crosby said. “As far as evaluating us — obviously, we’re trying to win — but I think he evaluates it for what it is and doesn’t get caught up in winning or losing. It’s just more about the process. He’s been really consistent with that. Over the years, you have to adjust.

“Things change, teams change and I think he’s done a very good job of adjusting to that.”

Sullivan appears cognizant of that necessity.

“The evolution of a coach is a fascinating experience,” Sullivan said. “We all get better with the experiences that we go through and learning through those experiences. Hopefully, you can bring those to your next challenge or the next season or whatever that may be. That’s a really important aspect of continuing to evolve and grow as a coach. That’s an important aspect of what we do.”

But in some respects, Sullivan the coach isn’t all that different than Sullivan the player.

“He just laid it on the line,” Bowness said. “As a penalty killer, he blocked a lot of shots. He was absolutely fearless. He ate a lot of pucks. He was willing to do whatever it took to win a game. Win a battle, whatever. I loved his heart, I loved the way he played the game and he was a real treat to coach because you never worried about him showing up. When the puck dropped, you knew he was ready to go.

“(Sullivan) is a great coach. He was a heart-and-soul player, and he’s a heart-and-soul coach.”

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