Mike Sullivan Debuts as Rangers Coach Against Penguins In Season Opener: 'Mixed Emotions'

The NHL is back Tuesday night, and while the first game is kind of a dud on paper with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs taking on a Chicago Blackhawks team that will likely be in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes, the second game has some intrigue around it, and it has to do with New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan.

He signed in New York after getting let go by the Penguins over the season, ending a massively successful tenure that yielded a pair of Stanley Cups. Sure, missing the playoffs three seasons in a row is a fireable offense, and the team may have needed a new voice anyway.

That said, he's still a highly-regarded coach and will lead Team USA at the Olympics next February. So, you can understand why the Rangers were quick to pounce when he became available.

So, who do the Sullivan-led Blueshirts open their season against as they look to bounce back from a nightmare 2024-25?

Why the Penguins, of course!

"I'm sure there will be a lot of mixed emotions," Sullivan said about facing his old team, per NHL.com.

Tuesday night's game is at Madison Square Garden, but Sullivan doesn't have to wait long to return to the Steel City. The Rangers will pay a visit to PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

Mike Sullivan opens his first season with the New York Rangers against his old team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"The relationships that I built with those guys were strong," the coach said. "We had the privilege of winning a couple of championships together, and I think when you go through experiences like that, it certainly galvanizes relationships that last a lifetime."

It'll be an interesting couple of nights for the coach, but it won't change the fact that both teams will be hungry to get their seasons off on the right foot.

The Rangers are coming off a massively disappointing season and will want to make sure they don't lose pace with the Metropolitan Division frontrunners.

The same can be said for the Penguins, only they're still trying to see how much more mileage they can get out of their core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.

I wouldn't expect either team to be much more than a possible wild card team, but we'll start to get a feel for how that will all shake out soon enough!