Former Rangers assistant Dan Muse named coach of division rival Penguins
In a bit of a surprising move, the Pittsburgh Penguins hired former New York Rangers assistant Dan Muse as their new coach Wednesday. The announcement came roughly five weeks after the Penguins parted ways with Mike Sullivan, who was named Rangers coach a week later.
In fact, it was believed at the time that Muse could be part of Sullivan’s staff in New York after he worked under Peter Laviolette the past two seasons as a Rangers assistant. Instead, Muse replaced Sullivan in Pittsburgh, receiving his first head coaching opportunity in the NHL.
To add a further twist to this New York-Pittsburgh coaching connection, former Rangers coach David Quinn, an assistant under Sullivan in Pittsburgh last season, was among those being considered for the Penguins job before Muse was hired. It’s also been rumored that Quinn could return to the Rangers as an assistant under Sullivan next season.
That Muse landed the Penguins’ gig was a surprise to many NHL insiders. Former Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith and Washington Capitals assistant Mitch Love were thought to be the front-runners to replace Sullivan.
“During this process, we met with many candidates who we felt would have been a fit as the next head coach of the Penguins, but ultimately, Dan Muse stood out as the best choice. What separated Dan was his ability to develop players, win at all levels where he has been a head coach and his consistent success coaching special teams in the NHL,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “From his success in developing college and junior players, to his impactful work with veteran players during his time in the NHL, Dan has shown a proven ability to connect with players at all stages of their careers and help them to reach their potential.”
Dubas takes over a team that missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past three seasons with Sullivan at the helm and still has Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson among its core. But hiring the 42-year-old for his first NHL head coaching job may signal a turn in how the Penguins approach the next couple of seasons, with an eye more toward retooling than trying to build a Stanley Cup contender.
Related: Rangers ‘team to keep an eye on the next few weeks’ as offseason heats up: NHL insider
Former Rangers assistant Dan Muse named coach of Penguins
When the Rangers fired Laviolette back in April, they also axed associate coach Phil Housley. However, they retained Muse and Michael Peca, saying that the two assistants would have the opportunity to interview for positions on the new coach’s staff.
Peca joined the Chicago Blackhawks last week to work under new coach Jeff Blashill. It’s not known if either Muse or Peca had discussions with Sullivan and/or general manager Chris Drury to remain with the Rangers.
Muse, who was also an assistant with the Nashville Predators from 2017-20, has a track record of success developing young players. He was an assistant at Yale, helping the Bulldogs win the NCAA Championship in 2013, and he coached Chicago of the USHL to the Clark Cup championship in 2017.
Muse also coached the United States National Team Development Program, when top Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault exploded for 53 goals and 132 points in 63 games in 2022-23. Among the players he coached at the USNTDP were top Penguins prospect Rutger McGroarty, current New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes and first-round NHL picks Will Smith and Zeev Buium.
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