Nine NHL teams have a new coach. Here's what to expect from the changes

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When Mike Sullivan's time in Pittsburgh came to an end after nearly a decade behind the bench produced two Stanley Cup championships, he became the most-sought after coach on the market.

With plenty of vacancies around the NHL, Sullivan had his pick of the litter. He landed with the New York Rangers, tasked with taking over an Original Six franchise that missed last season's playoffs but is loaded with talent.

Sullivan has coached Sidney Crosby and was picked by USA Hockey to lead the country at the upcoming Olympics in Milan. Starting this journey with the Rangers had him struggling to find a way to capture his emotions.

“This is a new challenge for me,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard for me to express in words how excited I am about this challenge and about this opportunity.”

Sullivan is one of nine coaches with a new challenge in front of him. A look at the changes for nearly a third of the league and what to expect:

Sullivan made trips over the summer to begin building personal relationships with his players. The 57-year-old from Massachusetts wanted to get to know players away from the rink and vice versa. When it comes to hockey, Sullivan's straightforward approach is evident.

“Obviously a good pedigree,” defenseman Carson Soucy said. “He’s intense, very detail-focused and he wants to win.”

The Rangers haven't won it all since 1994 but reached the Eastern Conference final in 2024.

Quenneville is back in the league with Anaheim, four years since resigning from Florida in the wake of an investigation into Chicago’s 2010 sexual assault allegations. Quenneville said at his introductory news conference he understands those who question is return and will "demonstrate (by) my actions that I am a man of character.”

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup three times with Quenneville as their coach. Only Scotty Bowman has more NHL wins.

“Just to have a voice like that behind the bench guiding and leading our team, we got a good mix of some veterans and some young guys, so I think it’s a great hire and I’m really, really excited to play for him,” winger Sam Colangelo said.

Tocchet was nearly as prized as Sullivan after he decided not to renew his contract in Vancouver. Philadelphia is a homecoming of sorts for Tocchet, who played over 700 games in orange and black during separate stints.

“Him being back in Philly and wanting to be there and picking us, his excitement for where we’re headed, I think it excites us as a team and kind of the growth that we’re about to take,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “He’s already a step ahead. He already knows the organization, the city, the fans and so I think that’s going benefit us moving forward.”

Dallas fired Peter DeBoer following three consecutive trips to the West final. Pulling franchise goaltender Jake Oettinger in the series-deciding loss and his handling of it afterward played a part.

“You never want to see anyone lose their job,” Oettinger said. “It’s a tough business and with how good we’ve been the last three years, it’s tough. ... Looking forward to getting a fresh start."

That comes with Gulutzan, rehired 12 years after being fired by the Stars his first time around. Gulutzan the past seven seasons has been an assistant in Edmonton, where he ran the power play and earned praise from Connor McDavid for his communication skills.

Playing over 1,000 games in the NHL, coaching Germany at the Olympics and spending multiple years as a Los Angeles Kings assistant didn't prepare Sturm for taking over in Boston. It took three full seasons running a bench with Ontario of the American Hockey League to be ready.

“This is the time,” Sturm said. “Timing is everything. And I couldn’t end up in a better spot than Boston.”

Connor Bedard, the top pick in 2023, might finally have a long-term coach after Chicago fired Luke Richardson last December and played out the season with Anders Sorensen in an interim role. Blashill gets his second head-coaching job in the league after seven years with Detroit from 2015-22.

“We’re excited to have him,” Bedard said. “He’s thrilled to be with us. He’s showing a ton of excitement.”

Dan Bylsma lasted one season in Seattle after he was promoted from the minors to replace Dave Hakstol. Lambert, fired in January 2024 by the New York Islanders, is tasked with getting the Kraken back to respectability.

“He brings a structure, an emphasis on structure that we desperately need a little bit,” captain Jordan Eberle said.

Muse, who was an assistant under former Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, takes over with Pittsburgh nearing a crossroads. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are still around but a youth movement is coming. Muse has caught players' attention.

"I came and grabbed dinner here at the rink,” Letang said. “When I left, I think it was 8 o’clock and he was still on his computer working on some stuff. So there you go. You see the passion that he has for the game and trying to work on every little detail to make us better and improve every single guy out there.”

Tocchet's exit opened a void for the Canucks, who would love to convince elite defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes to stick around beyond the end of his current contract in 2027. Hughes said he had his two best seasons with Foote, a former defenseman, as an assistant, but that guarantees nothing.

“It’s different being a head coach," Hughes said. “I’m sure there’s going to be challenges as a first-year head coach that he’s going face, just like anyone else would. But I think he’s prepared for it.”

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AP Sports Writers Will Graves in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, and Jimmy Golen in Boston contributed.

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