Penguins make coaching change

Once their 2023-24 season came to a close, the Pittsburgh Penguins were said to be weighing their options when it comes to the future of their coaching staff. On Friday, the team announced one significant changes to the staff and the Penguins announced that they had parted ways with Associate Coach Todd Reirden. He has been relieved of his duties immediately.

“We are grateful to Todd for his dedication and commitment to the Penguins over two separate stints with the organization,” said Dubas. “Mike Sullivan and I have spent time over the past two weeks evaluating the coaching staff, and although these decisions are never easy, we agree that this change was in the best interest of the team moving forward.”

Reirden was mostly responsible for the Penguins’ troublesome power play that finished 30th in the NHL with a 15.3% conversion rate, while also allowing a league-high 12 short-handed goals against. He was also in charge of the defensemen on the team.

This is the end of a second stint with the organization for Reirden, who served as the Wilkes-Barre coach from 2008-10 and then was promoted to be an assistant in Pittsburgh from 2010-14. Following six years in Washington, Reirden returned to the Penguins in 2021 where he worked for four seasons from 2021-24.

There is a sense that more coaching changes could come to Pittsburgh, though it is believed the Penguins will hold on to head bench boss Mike Sullivan, who is set to kick off a new three-year contract.

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