It appears that Mike Sullivan – who departed as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Apr. 28 and subsequently joined the New York Rangers as their new bench boss – isn’t the only former Penguins’ coach to land a new gig for the 2025-26 season.
On Monday, longtime Penguins’ assistant coach Mike Vellucci joined the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach, officially ending his tenure with Pittsburgh.
Vellucci initially joined the Penguins’ organization as head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins – Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate – prior to the 2019-20 season. He was then brought on as an assistant for the NHL club the following season, and he remained in that post from 2020-25.
A former player who appeared in two NHL games with the Hartford Whalers, Vellucci began coaching – with a general management stint sandwiched in the middle – in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Plymouth Whalers from 2001-14.
He then joined the Carolina Hurricanes as assistant general manager and director of player development for the next three seasons before coaching the Charlotte Checkers – then Carolina’s AHL affiliate but now affiliated with the Florida Panthers – from 2017-19.
He won a Calder Cup with the Checkers in 2019 before joining the Penguins’ organization the following season. As an assistant with Pittsburgh, Vellucci was responsible for coaching the penalty killing and forward units.
He will occupy that same role with the Blackhawks.
Insider Provides New Updates On Penguins’ Coaching SearchThe Pittsburgh Penguins are still searching for their new head coach after moving from longtime bench boss Mike Sullivan following the completion of the 2024-25 season.
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