Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mike Sullivan named coach of Team USA for Beijing Olympics

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has been named the head coach of the United States Men’s Olympic Hockey Team for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

USA Hockey made the official announcement Wednesday, but it was reported earlier in the week that Sullivan, 53, would be named coach.

This is the first time Sullivan will be head coach, though it won’t be his first time coaching in the Olympics. In the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Sullivan was an assistant coach.

Sullivan was previously head coach of Team USA at the 2007 World Championship, and an assistant coach at the 2008 World Championship and the 2016 World Cup.

Sullivan will be the third U.S. Olympic head coach in the last 20 years with Pittsburgh Penguins connections, the team said. Herb Brooks was a Penguins scout in 2002 when he guided the Americans to a silver medal in Salt Lake City, and Dan Bylsma was Pittsburgh’s head coach when he was the U.S. Olympic team’s bench boss in 2014.

The Beijing Olympics are scheduled to open on Feb. 4 and run through Feb. 20. The NHL’s All-Star Game break is set to begin Feb. 4, and there is an extended break that runs through Feb. 22 to accommodate the Olympics.

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