Mike Vellucci is a World Champion, and it’s officially “Penguins name a coach” week

This should be the week there’s finally a Penguin coach named

It’s been almost a month since the Penguins moved on from Mike Sullivan on April 28th. Kyle Dubas recently said he planned to name a new head coach by June 1st, which believe it or not the start of June is just a few days away on Sunday. That should mean finalization on figuring out who the team wants to hire is coming within the next few days.

There hasn’t been much by way or news or notes in the Pens’ search in the last week, but that should change soon. Dubas is back from Europe with the World Championships concluded. It was a tough ending for Dubas, Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury and Team Canada when they got tripped up in the quarterfinals. The glory ended up going to quasi-current Penguin assistant coach Mike Vellucci and former Penguin, Drew O’Connor and Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley who ended up winning gold with Team USA.

It was nice to see the team honor their friends Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau, and very fitting. Not many NHL players give up their time and make playing in this event, often in Europe and at the expense of their free time, a priority. Gaudreau, the US’s all-time leader in games and points, always did. It’s fitting the international 2024-25 season comes to an end with him celebrated.

Vellucci served as an assistant for the Americans, his name hasn’t been around much by way or news reports or speculation for the Penguin head coaching job. Dubas didn’t suggest Vellucci would be interviewing, unlike fellow 2024-25 assistant David Quinn who did get a look. Vellucci, along with assistant coaches Ty Hennes and Andy Chiodo, according to Dubas were at the end of their contracts after this season. (Quinn, who only joined Pittsburgh for this past season, still remains under contract with the Pens at the moment).

Dubas stated that the assistant coaches were all free to seek employment with other teams immediately but had the option to wait and interview for positions under the Penguins’ next head coach. Dubas emphasized that this approach was intended to provide a “clean slate” for the incoming head coach, which doesn’t sound too promising for the future statuses of the current coaches, especially ones like Vellucci that don’t currently have a contract for next season.

Quinn has interviewed with the Seattle Kraken, and per Elliotte Friedman is a finalist for that job along with Lane Lambert. Friedman noted that Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love is expected to interview in Pittsburgh again this week.

Other reported contenders or at least coaches who have been mentioned with some involvement in the process in addition to Love include Jay Woodcroft, DJ Smith and Drew Bannister.