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AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

John Hynes and Mike Sullivan Added to USA's World Cup of Hockey Staff

January 15, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - USA Hockey announced today that former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coaches John Hynes and Mike Sullivan will serve as assistants on the United States' coaching staff at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Both Hynes and Sullivan will join head coach John Tortorella on Team USA's staff for the tournament being held in Toronto, Ont. from Sept. 14 - Oct. 1, 2016.

Hynes, the longest tenured coach in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton history, never failed to record 40+ wins in any of his five seasons behind the bench as Penguins head coach and posted an overall record of 231-126-10-17. Hynes' last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was the 2014-15 campaign, and he currently serves as the head coach of the New Jersey Devils.

Sullivan joined the Penguins in the summer of 2015 after Hynes was hired by New Jersey. His tenure in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was brief but impactful, as he coached his team to a league-best 18-5-0-0 record before being named head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 12, 2015.

Both men have associations with USA Hockey going back to their pre-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton days. Hynes, a native of Warwick, R.I., previously represented his country as head coach of the United States National Team Development Program for eight years. Sullivan, from Marshfield, Mass., has been behind the U.S. bench twice in his career: once as the head coach of Team USA at the 2007 World Championships and again in 2008 as an assistant to Tortorella at the World Championships.

This is not the first time former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coaches have represented Team USA on the world stage. Dan Bylsma, who spent three seasons on the Wilkes-Barre bench, served as head coach of the U.S. at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi Russia. Todd Richards, who was served as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach from 2006-2008, was an assistant on Bylsma's staff at the tournament.

The World Cup of Hockey is an international tournament organized by the NHL and the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA), in cooperation with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Previous World Cups of Hockey were played in 1996 and 2004. The NHL revived the event with an official announcement on Jan. 24, 2015 with plans to hold a World Cup of Hockey tournament every four years.

Hynes and Sullivan are among five former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coaches currently serving as head coaches in the NHL, the others being Michel Therrien, Dan Bylsma, and Mike Yeo.

Since going to Pittsburgh, Sullivan has guided the Penguins to a 5-6-3 record.

In his first season with New Jersey, Hynes has seen his Devils earn a 21-19-5 record, five more wins and seven more points than the team had through 45 games last year.

Therrien spent two and a half seasons as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach and took the team to a Calder Cup Final in his first year. Currently coaching the Montréal Canadiens, Therrien's team is coming off of a regular season Atlantic Division title and holds a playoff spot today with a 23-18-3 record.

Bylsma spent two seasons as an assistant on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's staff and became head coach for the start of the 2008-09 season. Before the season was over, Bylsma was promoted to Pittsburgh and took the team to its third Stanley Cup title in franchise history. Now in his first season with the Buffalo Sabres, Bylsma's team boasts a bevy of young talent, including 19-year-old Jack Eichel, and a record of 17-22-4. Bylsma's overall record as an NHL head coach is 269-139-36.

Yeo, who spent six seasons as an assistant in Wilkes-Barre after finishing his player career as a Penguin in 1999-00, is in his fifth season behind the bench as head coach of the Minnesota Wild. Yeo has taken the Wild to the playoffs in three-straight seasons, and has an overall record of 172-123-42.

The Penguins' next home game is Wednesday, Jan. 27 against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Individual tickets for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton games can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza box office, through all Ticketmaster outlets, or by contacting the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton season ticket packages, including Full Season, 22-game, 12-game and Flexbook plans, are available by calling the Penguins at (570) 208-7367.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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