It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins have begun to shift into a new era. With the organization in a transitional period - and in the midst of a rebuild - the Penguins are putting the focus on youth and development.
And that focus on development is certainly prevalent when examining their new coaching staff.
On Apr. 28, the Penguins decided to move on from longtime head coach Mike Sullivan - who ended up with the New York Rangers - and usher in a new era for the team and its direction. A little more than a month later, they announced the hiring of Dan Muse as the 23rd head coach in franchise history, officially ushering in that new era with a clean slate.
Fast forward to mid-July, and that clean slate has been written on with nearly an entirely new coaching staff, save for a few. Muse brought on assistants Todd Nelson, Nick Bonino, Rich Clune, and Mike Stothers and added assistant video coach Troy Paquette. The only retentions from Sullivan’s old staff were goaltending coach Andy Chiodo and video coach Madison Nikkel.
GM and POHO Kyle Dubas were clearly going for a different direction, and each coach made the decision to join the staff for different reasons. But they are united in their messaging, as they want to help this team simultaneously maintain its winning culture while putting the focus on a younger generation.
And that work will kick into high gear after all of the initial relationship-building and planning heading into training camp this fall.
“It’s making sure that we’re growing every day and growing an environment that’s going to be extremely competitive, but it’s where the individuals can grow and the group can grow on a daily basis,” Muse said. “I believe a big part of my job is setting that environment there, along with the coaching staff, and making sure that foundation is there right from day one.”
Penguins' New Assistant Coach Excited To Get To Work In PittsburghPittsburgh Penguins' new assistant coach Mike Stothers almost missed the call - literally - to discuss
what is now his position on head coach Dan Muse's staff.
And, beyond Muse - who has spent time both as an NHL assistant and in developmental leagues, namely with USA Hockey and the U.S. National Team Development Program - there is a breadth of developmental experience on the staff.
Nelson won back-to-back Calder Cup championships with the Hershey Bears - AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals - in 2023 and 2024, and he also won one with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017. Between that experience and his NHL experience as an assistant, Nelson knows what it takes to win and develop talent at the same time.
In fact, he thinks those two things work in tandem.
“I think winning is a form of development, to be quite honest with you,” Nelson said. “I’ve always said that if you don’t have success at the minor league level, how do you expect these kids to go up and play in the Stanley Cup playoffs and feel comfortable in those situations? So, it’s a balance.”
He added: “I liked what I heard about what we’re trying to do here,” Nelson said. “To work with some of the talent here, it’s going to be fantastic.”
As head coach of the Bears, Nelson had the opportunity to see some of the Penguins’ young talent firsthand - 12 times last season, to be exact - so he knows what kind of talent is waiting in the wings for the Penguins.
“I saw some of the young talent coming up, and they gave us fits,” Nelson said. “So, it’s an exciting time.”
Stothers, 63, has been involved at all developmental levels, from junior hockey to the AHL to the NHL. His most recent gig was as an assistant with the Anaheim Ducks, a position he had to vacate due to a battle with Stage 3 Melanoma of the Lymph Node, but he knew the opportunity with the Penguins was the right one to step back into because of the collaborative nature of the staff and the environment.
"I think it's going to be a collaboration between the three of us, to be honest with you," Stothers said. "There are no right answers, there's no '100 percent' way of doing things.... Everything's well-researched. Everybody does their pre-scouts and everything else. So, it's like a chess match, it really is."
Penguins Name Full Coaching Staff For 2025-26 SeasonBack on Jun. 4, the Pittsburgh Penguins hired Dan Muse as the 23rd coach in franchise history.
Between Muse, Nelson, Stothers, Bonino, and Clune, Muse is also the only coach who did not play at the NHL level. Having the right mix of playing experience, veteran coaching experience, and experience working with young players should serve this Penguins’ staff well as it looks to the future.
There may be some growing pains, and there will have to be collaboration with Pittsburgh’s veterans in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, too. But Muse is confident in the ability of his chosen staff to build relationships with every player individually and to get the most out of them, wherever they are in their development.
“It’s a nice mix, and everyone knows what to work on and look at this summer," Muse said. "I have a lot of confidence. It’s a hard-working coaching staff, and these guys are going to be putting in the time. And we’ll come back together here at the end of the summer and be able to, kind of, piece some more things together prior to training camp.”
'I Couldn't Be More Excited To Get Started Here': 3 Takeaways From Dan Muse's Introductory Press Conference As Penguins' Head CoachOn Wednesday, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas formally introduced
Dan Muse as the 23rd head coach in franchise history at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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