Mike Sullivan has built his bench, and the staff, which hasn't officially been confirmed by the team, that he's assembled offers a mix of experience, familiarity, and a clear blueprint for the type of culture he wants to establish with the New York Rangers. It's hard to miss the heavy Boston flavor running through the new Broadway regime. From general manager Chris Drury to Sullivan and his new assistants David Quinn and Joe Sacco, all proud Boston University Terriers — and now Ty Hennes, a Boston College Eagle, there's plenty of Beanpot DNA in the Rangers hockey operations department. It's a group built on shared roots, culture, and now, a shared mission in New York.
At the heart of the staff additions is Quinn. The former Blueshirts head coach, who led the team from 2019 to 2021, is returning to the organization, this time as an assistant under Sullivan. Quinn, a runner-up in the Seattle Kraken sweepstakes before Lane Lambert was appointed as their next suit leader, spent last season on Sullivan's bench in Pittsburgh and now rejoins his first NHL club in a new role. He's expected to take charge of the defense and power play — two areas where his résumé carries more weight than some might remember.
Quinn was fired after the 2020-21 season in the same organizational shake-up that also saw team president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton dismissed. Drury replaced both and made firing Quinn his first significant move as general manager. In 2023-24, he guided a Penguins man-advantage that ranked 30th in the NHL and improved it to 6th in 2024-25, marking the third-best power play season in franchise history. The turnaround, alongside his familiarity with the core scorers Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and Alexis Lafrenière, and Sullivan's operation, makes the move a logical fit. He also became acquainted with J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck on Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament this past February.
Joining Quinn and Sullivan on the bench is Sacco, who spent the last 12 seasons in Boston and most recently served as the Bruins's interim head coach before being replaced by Marco Sturm. Sacco will run the forwards and penalty kill, two areas he helped elevate in Boston over multiple seasons. While the Bruins fell to 24th in 2025, it had ranked 1st in 2022-23, 7th in 2023-24, and 9th in 2021-22. Sacco is praised for his direct style of communication, a skill Sullivan values highly.
However, the most intriguing addition is Hennes, who owns a doctorate in chiropractic medicine, was in the Penguins organization for their dynasty, and has worked in Pittsburgh's development pipeline since 2018, specializing in skating, skills, and offensive detail work. He joined Sullivan's NHL bench in 2022 and is expected to bring a detail-driven approach, similar to what Mike Peca (Now With the Chicago Blackhawks, joining Jeff Bashill's staff ) provided under Peter Laviolette the last two years.
Hennes' emphasis on skating mechanics, puck retrievals, and rush reads will aid the organization's upstarts like Will Cuylle, Brett Beard, Matt Rempe, Gabe Perreault, and Brennan Othmann — all players who still have room to grow inside a skill-specific system.
Under Sullivan's leadership, the staff appears well-positioned to push the Rangers toward greater consistency, especially in the areas where they've fallen short in recent playoff runs: defensive structure, special teams, and in-game adjustments. The Rangers now have their head coach. They have their staff, and they still have the core of a roster that's won a Presidents' Trophy and reached a conference final in the past three years.
Now, they'll see if this group can help them take the next step. That said, how are these new men's suits perceived compared to their predecessors?
Grade: B+
The new coaching staff represents a clear philosophical shift, one that Rangerstown has been clamoring for. Out is the previous group of Laviolette, Dan Muse (ironically, the new coach in Pittsburgh), Phil Housley, and Peca, and in come Sullivan, Quinn, Sacco, and Hennes. On paper, it's a substantial upgrade in experience, pedigree, clarity, and cohesion. However, there is still some risk, which is why this doesn't quite reach A-level yet. There's Sullivan, a two-time Stanley Cup champion in 2016 and 17. Detail-oriented, and demands accountability. He brings structure and a persona this team has lost since the Alain Vigneault days. His arrival alone would elevate any bench.
Sacco brings a solid résumé running defensive units and the penalty kill in Boston. His long tenure with the Bruins and reputation as a communicator should serve the Rangers well, particularly as they seek to transform their defensive identity. Quinn is the wild card here. While he's a brilliant hockey mind and has seen power play success in Pittsburgh (30th to 6th!), and we did see Zibanejad score 41 goals in a 57-game span under his tutelage, his history with New York still casts a shadow. He's not running the show this time, which helps, but the optics aren't perfect.
All the Boston University connections (Sullivan, Drury, Quinn, Sacco) could be great for synergy but may lead to a stubborn, closed-loop mindset. It'll be intriguing to see how they adapt in-game and during the season when necessary. It's a well-balanced, experienced coaching staff with a clear vision under Sullivan. The ceiling is high, should Quinn thrive in a specialized, low-pressure role and Hennes unlock young talent. Still, it's not without questions, which is why it lands at a B+ with a chance to rise.