NHL Hot Seat: NHL Coaches on the Hot Seat in 2024-25

A large tier of NHL teams have just performed below their standard this season, and, while there’s a variety of reasons for that, it’s usually the head coach that takes the fall. 

Whether it’s front offices telling their ownership that, ‘The real problem is that guy,’ or players complaining about ice time, the first move for a team looking for a shakeup is usually to axe the head coach. 

In fact, according to a report by ESPN last year, more coaches get fired in the NHL every year than in any other North American professional sport. 

With the regular season winding down, some NHL coaches are probably shaking in their boots and talking with realtors about how to get out of their leases or sell their homes. 

Here are four coaches who could be on their way out in the near future. 

Andrew Brunette, Predators

Calling out your bottom-of-the-league team in the media for a four-game losing streak is like complaining about the dinner service while the Titanic’s going down. But that’s exactly what Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette did on Thursday night. 

“We never want to be here again,” Brunette said of the team’s dismal record. 

“But when we are here, we have to handle ourselves with a little bit more professionalism than they are right now,” he continued. 

It’s great that Brunette’s not just kicking his feet up and quitting on a season where the Predators have only won 45 games. But it’s kind of past the point to ask for professionalism from your players. 

Brunette was already predicted to be one of the first coaches fired by The Athletic earlier this season, but with the frustration now coming out in the media, there’s probably even a better chance that he will lose his job at the end of the year. 

Potential Replacement

Reports have made a semi-obvious prediction that Karl Taylor, the head coach of Nashville’s AHL affiliate team, could be the next in line for the Nashville job. 

But the veterans on Nashville’s roster may have an issue with an AHL coach taking over. 

Current Predators assistant coach Todd Richards, who was previously a head coach in Minnesota and Columbus, could also be in line if Nashville’s front office wants a coach who can speak more to the veterans. 

Mike Sullivan, Penguins 

Two-time Stanley Cup winner Mike Sullivan is far too talented of a coach to be stuck on a sub.500 Pittsburgh Penguins team. He also served as head coach of Team USA’s roster at the Four Nations tournament and has a great reputation in the league. 

While Sullivan insisted in an interview with The Athletic on Tuesday that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, I don’t buy it. 

I don’t think Sullivan fits the timeline of a potentially post-Crosby Pittsburgh team. And Kyle Dubas, who took over as general manager two seasons ago, probably wants an opportunity to hire his own guy for a rebuild period.

Maybe the Penguins axe Sullivan, or maybe Sullivan walks away. I’m sure he’d be able to field offers from a variety of contending teams looking for a stronger voice at head coach. 

Either way, it’s unlikely he’ll be staying as the Penguins coach for that much longer. 

Potential Replacement

If the Penguins are looking to rebuild with young talent in a post-Crosby era, assistant coach David Quinn has the experience and know-how to do so. 

He coached for five seasons at his alma mater Boston University, then for the New York Rangers for three seasons and San Jose Sharks for two. He also coached for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics. 

He’s exactly the kind of coach that you’d want to bridge the gap between a veteran-heavy team and a prospect-heavy one. 

Joe Sacco, Bruins

Since the Bruins fired Jack Adams-trophy-winning head coach Jim Montgomery after their slow start this season, his replacement Joe Sacco hasn’t jolted the Bruins back to life as management hoped he could. Sacco also hasn’t lost the interim tag on his title. 

Sacco’s tenure has seen some uncharacteristically dark days for the Bruins. 

When he took over, the team was looking for a fresh start after Montgomery’s firing. A few months later, they’re ripped down to the studs and have lost their captain and heart and soul player Brad Marchand to a hated rival. 

Sacco’s firing at the end of the year is probably one of the surest bets in hockey right now. 

Potential Replacement

Don Sweeney and Cam Neely will surely be going big-game hunting this offseason to find a new head coach and save their jobs. 

If Pittsburgh moves on from Mike Sullivan, I’d expect them to be in on him, even though he’s defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s father-in-law. It would be hard to pull off, but they may inquire about the availability of Boston University’s head coach, Jay Pandolfo, who was on staff in Boston from 2017 to 2021 and has led BU to the Frozen Four in each of his first two seasons. 

John Tortorella, Flyers

When his teams are good, John Tortorella’s shenanigans probably play well with a fanbase and with the team’s front office. But when his teams are bad, he looks overpaid and out of control. 

He makes head-scratching decisions to bench star players, like earlier this season with rookie Matvei Michkov or last week with defenseman Cam York. He’s also become famous for his often very combative press conferences with the media. 

Tortorella behaves like other great angry coaches like Bill Belichick or Bobby Knight. But as both Belichick and Knight found out, patience for that behavior grows thin when you’re not winning. 

With the Flyers heading toward a missed playoff this year, it’s likely that they decide to move on from Torts. 

Potential Replacement

Ian Laperrière is the most likely replacement for Philadelphia. He currently serves as the head coach for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers’ AHL affiliate. He famously has a softer approach to coaching, which would be a welcome change from the Tortorella era.