The Penguins are one of three teams remaining around the NHL with a coaching vacancy, along with the Bruins and Kraken.
Kyle Dubas is entering the final stages of his search, based on his previously stated timeline. Preliminary searching started the day the team moved on from Mike Sullivan, with virtual interviews taking place over the following weeks. The plan is to have a coach hired by early June, with final in-person interviews taking place now.
Some notable names this coaching cycle are off the board: David Carle is returning to his post at the University of Denver, the Ducks hired Joel Quenneville, the Canucks promoted Adam Foote and the Blackhawks hired Jeff Blashill.
Other notable options are still active in the playoffs, with Stars assistant coach Alain Nasreddine still in the Western Conference final and Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra still active in the AHL's Western Conference final.
Still, the field of candidates for the Penguins' job remains strong, with top targets still available.
Elliotte Friedman reported this week that he believes Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love is coming to Pittsburgh this week for an in-person interview, and speculated that D.J. Smith and Jay Woodcroft are still being considered as well, likely among others.
Love makes too much sense. Dubas frequently talks about the success of the Capitals and how their retool is the path they'd like to emulate, and Love has been the Capitals assistant coach focusing on the defense for the last two years. He brings development experience too, having spent two years as the head coach of the Flames' AHL affiliate, winning the league's award for the top coach in both seasons. Prior to his time in the AHL, Love spent three years as the head coach of the WHL's Saskatoon Blades.
As a player, Love was a tough guy who brought physicality, agitation and wasn't afraid to drop the gloves. He racked up 901 penalty minutes in his five seasons of WHL hockey, a career total that ranks 31st in league history and has not been surpassed by any player to come through the league since Love. He once had a season in junior with 40 fights, and another in the AHL with 34 fights.
First-hand experience with what was behind the Capitals' retool success? Check. Development experience -- both recent and successful? Check, check. Experience coaching up a defense? Check.
If it's not Love, what remains is still intriguing. Dubas has also previously identified the Kings as a team with a path the Penguins could try to follow, and Smith has been an assistant coach behind the Kings' bench for the last year and a half. He has extensive development experience, spending a decade in the OHL from 2004-15. And Dubas knows Smith well, after Smith was an assistant coach for the Leafs from 2015-19, when Dubas was assistant general manager and then general manager.
Woodcroft is currently unemployed, but spent parts of the last three seasons coaching the Oilers. He more recently served on Dubas' staff for Canada in the World Championship as an assistant coach. He has three and a half seasons of experience as a head coach at the AHL level before he was promoted to the Oilers job, and he has over a decade of experience at the NHL level as an assistant with the Red Wings, Sharks and Oilers as well.
The Penguins' search will likely be concluded in the next week or so. Signs certainly point to Love as the favorite, though the in-person interviews being conducted now could point Dubas in another direction.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
9:48 pm - 05.29.2025DowntownIs the Penguins' coaching job Love's to lose?
The Penguins are one of three teams remaining around the NHL with a coaching vacancy, along with the Bruins and Kraken.
Kyle Dubas is entering the final stages of his search, based on his previously stated timeline. Preliminary searching started the day the team moved on from Mike Sullivan, with virtual interviews taking place over the following weeks. The plan is to have a coach hired by early June, with final in-person interviews taking place now.
Some notable names this coaching cycle are off the board: David Carle is returning to his post at the University of Denver, the Ducks hired Joel Quenneville, the Canucks promoted Adam Foote and the Blackhawks hired Jeff Blashill.
Other notable options are still active in the playoffs, with Stars assistant coach Alain Nasreddine still in the Western Conference final and Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra still active in the AHL's Western Conference final.
Still, the field of candidates for the Penguins' job remains strong, with top targets still available.
Elliotte Friedman reported this week that he believes Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love is coming to Pittsburgh this week for an in-person interview, and speculated that D.J. Smith and Jay Woodcroft are still being considered as well, likely among others.
Love makes too much sense. Dubas frequently talks about the success of the Capitals and how their retool is the path they'd like to emulate, and Love has been the Capitals assistant coach focusing on the defense for the last two years. He brings development experience too, having spent two years as the head coach of the Flames' AHL affiliate, winning the league's award for the top coach in both seasons. Prior to his time in the AHL, Love spent three years as the head coach of the WHL's Saskatoon Blades.
As a player, Love was a tough guy who brought physicality, agitation and wasn't afraid to drop the gloves. He racked up 901 penalty minutes in his five seasons of WHL hockey, a career total that ranks 31st in league history and has not been surpassed by any player to come through the league since Love. He once had a season in junior with 40 fights, and another in the AHL with 34 fights.
First-hand experience with what was behind the Capitals' retool success? Check. Development experience -- both recent and successful? Check, check. Experience coaching up a defense? Check.
If it's not Love, what remains is still intriguing. Dubas has also previously identified the Kings as a team with a path the Penguins could try to follow, and Smith has been an assistant coach behind the Kings' bench for the last year and a half. He has extensive development experience, spending a decade in the OHL from 2004-15. And Dubas knows Smith well, after Smith was an assistant coach for the Leafs from 2015-19, when Dubas was assistant general manager and then general manager.
Woodcroft is currently unemployed, but spent parts of the last three seasons coaching the Oilers. He more recently served on Dubas' staff for Canada in the World Championship as an assistant coach. He has three and a half seasons of experience as a head coach at the AHL level before he was promoted to the Oilers job, and he has over a decade of experience at the NHL level as an assistant with the Red Wings, Sharks and Oilers as well.
The Penguins' search will likely be concluded in the next week or so. Signs certainly point to Love as the favorite, though the in-person interviews being conducted now could point Dubas in another direction.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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