Penguins’ Mike Sullivan: doctors, nurses, law enforcement 'are our true heroes’

Mike Sullivan cracked a joke to open up his video conference call with media Tuesday.

“I never thought I’d say this,” the Pittsburgh Penguins coach said, his sly smirk visible even through the choppy nature of the call, “but I’m happy to be doing this today.”

A Boston-area native and coach of the Bruins from 2003-06, Sullivan has a personal relationship with and carries a respect for Bill Belichick, the highly successful New England Patriots coach who isn’t exactly overly eager to divulge information while interacting with the media.

But when it comes to delivering a message to writers, broadcasters and fans as the U.S. deals with the coronavirus pandemic, Sullivan spoke expansively.

“The message is that this is a difficult time for everyone,” he said. “We all acknowledge that. I think what’s jumped out at me is how impressive the human spirit and the human initiative is. When I look around the country and see how people have banded together to overcome the challenges and worked together to try to help one another through this crisis, for me, it’s inspiring. It’s impressive.

“It’s our responsibility as people within our own respective communities to make sure we do our part to help our country overcome this challenge. I don’t think any of us should take it lightly. Those are the things I’ve thought about over the past couple of weeks. If there is any silver lining in this, it’s real impressive from my standpoint — and, quite honesty, it’s inspiring — to watch our country come together and overcome a crisis situation.”

To coach Mike Sullivan, the pause of the #NHL season came at a particularly bad time for his #Penguins. https://t.co/TOHCELIUBT

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) April 1, 2020

According to a profile written about Sullivan by the official publication of his alma mater, Boston University, Sullivan’s late mother, Myna, was a nurse.

Perhaps that, in part, was why during some of his first public comments since covid-19 temporarily shut down the NHL season, Sullivan multiple times made sure he recognized those he calls “the real heroes.”

“I think the first responders, the doctors, the nurses, the people on the front lines of this, these guys are our true heroes,” Sullivan said. “And we’re watching them every day on television. We’re watching them every day in our own respective communities, and we should all be grateful for what they do on a daily basis. And sometimes we take that stuff for granted.”

Sullivan, who has stayed in his Pittsburgh-area home with his wife and three children, emphasized he felt it was “important that we all do our part” in combating the pandemic.

“We will get through this, and we will get through this together, and we will all get out on the other side of this,” Sullivan said. “I hope we all have appreciation for one another and have a little more of a tolerance for one another when we do get on the other side of this.”

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.