Penguins' Mike Sullivan to coach Team USA for 2026 Winter Olympics

Mike Sullivan, head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, will oversee Team USA for the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in the U.S. and Canada and the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, USA Hockey announced on Saturday.

"We're excited to have Mike guiding our teams," said Bill Guerin, general manager of Team USA for both the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Games. "He is one of the very best coaches in the game and his background, including with international hockey, is well-suited to help put our team in the best position to win."

"Mike Sullivan is not only a great coach, but someone who has a strong passion for American hockey," USA Hockey's Executive Director Pat Kelleher said. "He's a world-class leader and been an important part of hockey in our country for a very long time."

Sullivan, 56, has worked 11 seasons as a head coach in the NHL with two teams, the Boston Bruins and the Penguins, with 445 wins, 275 losses, 15 ties and 100 overtime losses. He won the Stanley Cup twice, back-to-back in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns with the Penguins.

"I am beyond grateful to have the opportunity to coach Team USA in these two significant international events," Sullivan said. "It's been amazing to see the progress we've made in hockey in our country over the course of my career. I am honored to lead our best players and I look forward to the challenge that lies ahead."

The last time Team USA won the men's ice hockey gold medal at the Winter Olympics was in 1980 at home in Lake Placid, New York. NHL players haven't appeared at the Winter Games since 2014 in Sochi, Russia, but they will return in 2026 in Italy.