It wasn’t an easy decision nor one that was made with no second-thoughts, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have finally reached a decision about their brand-new head coach for the 2025-26 NHL season. Dan Muse is the name chosen to succeed Mike Sullivan, after the successful ten-year tenure in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby and the Pens are embarking into a new era, with a coach that has many fans wondering about his background, as this will be his first head coaching stint in the league.
The Penguins made a drastic change at the head coaching job ahead of the 2025-26 NHL campaign. After a decade under the guidance of Sullivan, who helped the team hoist consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, the Pens are stepping in a new direction, signing Muse as the 23rd head coach in franchise history.
Crosby and company are hoping Muse’s arrival will change the tide for the Black and Yellow organization, after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last three seasons. Moreover, the Pens haven’t advanced past the first round since the 2017-18 campaign. Perhaps Muse’s arrival is just what Pittsburgh needed, though it might not neccessarily mean playoff success.
Muse’s background
After two seasons as an assistant coach on Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff with the New York Rangers, Muse is coming into town to succeed Sullivan in the Steel City. Muse has had lots of success in developing young players, a trait that excites the Penguins, who are stepping into a rebuild due to their aging roster.
Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on after scoring the game winning goal against the Boston Bruins during the third period at TD Garden on January 04, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Prior to his job with the Rangers, Muse led USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, winning the gold medal at the 2023 World Under-18 Championship. Muse will reunite with forward Rutger McGroarty, who captained that U-18 roster, when he is introduced to the locker room at PPG Paints Arena.
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Muse has also been a head coach in the USHL, where he guided the Chicago Steel to a championship in the 2017 Clark Cup playoffs. He was also an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators, along Laviolette as well. Due to his experience with the former Rangers head coach, fans in Pittsburgh can expect a similar style to those of Laviolette’s teams.
Muse can help Pittsburgh’s PK
Muse has been at the helm of the penalty kill units during his tenures as assistant coach in both New York and Nashville. His units have become some of the best in the NHL, and the 42-year-old head coach will hope to experience similar success, as the Penguins ended the past season with 77.8% of success in the penalty kill, ranking 15th in the league.
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The Penguins are entering a new era—one that may not come with high expectations, but could still surprise fans. While Pittsburgh likely won’t contend for the Stanley Cup, this season might mark the beginning of an effective system that leans into the roster’s strengths, rather than relying on hero-hockey under Crosby’s leadership.
