On Day 9 of president and general manager Chris Drury’s hunt for a new head coach of the Rangers, Mike Sullivan’s departure from the Penguins changed everything. The “eyes wide open” coaching search that Drury said he wouldn’t have any “preset dispositions” on suddenly turned into immediately targeting and aggressively pursuing one specific coach.

While the Penguins continued to have strong seasons under Sullivan, the team became known for its early playoff exits. After going 34-36 last season, the Penguins fired Sullivan in April. It was the first time in his Penguins tenure that the team finished under .500.

The New York Rangers have hired Mike Sullivan as coach. Sullivan was out of a job for less than a week after he and the Pittsburgh Penguins agreed Monday to part ways.