The Toronto Marlies have hired former NHL forward Steve Sullivan as an assistant coach, the club announced Thursday afternoon.
Sullivan, 50, appeared in 1,011 NHL games during his career with the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Phoenix Coyotes, collecting 290 goals and 747 points.
The 5’7″, 157-pound winger also skated in 50 playoff contests with Toronto, Chicago, Nashville, and Pittsburgh, racking up nine goals and 23 points but never advancing past the second round.
Sullivan most recently served as an assistant general manager with the Coyotes from 2017 to 2021, overseeing the management of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners as part of his role.
News: The Toronto Marlies announced today that Steve Sullivan has been hired as an assistant coach.
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) August 29, 2024
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Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils with a ninth-round pick in 1994, Sullivan skated in just 49 games with his draft club before being traded to the Maple Leafs in 1997.
Sullivan appeared in parts of four seasons with the Maple Leafs, topping out with 20 goals and 40 points in 1998-99, before being waived early in the 1999-2000 season. Sullivan ended up being picked up by the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he scored a career-high 75 points in 2000-01.
With the Marlies, Sullivan will serve underneath head coach John Gruden as part of a staff that also includes fellow assistant coach Michael Dyck, goaltending coach Hannu Toivonen, and video coach Troy Paquette. Ryan Hardy currently serves as the Marlies’ GM.
The Marlies have been active in making additions to their roster this summer, signing established veterans Kyle Clifford and Alex Nylander, as well as up-and-comers Matt Anderson, Jacob Frasca, Mathieu Gosselin, and Marko Sikic.
Furthermore, the Maple Leafs have re-signed forward Alex Steeves and agreed to a two-way NHL deal with forward Cedric Pare and one-way deals with defenseman Dakota Mermis and Phil Myers, all of whom will likely begin the season with the Marlies.
The Marlies finished the 2023-24 AHL season with a 34-26-12 record and 80 points in 72 games, just enough to clinch the fifth and final playoff spot in the North Division. They ultimately fell to the Belleville Senators in three games in the first round of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
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