Sullivan defends Kessel, relationship
Sullivan did admit that he and Kessel have had disagreements over the years, but that’s hardly unique for a coach and player, especially not a coach and player on the Penguins.
It comes with the territory, with the talent, and Sullivan knew that before he walked into his office for the first time.
“I think our relationship has grown because we’ve been through ups and downs,” Sullivan said. “That, for me, is the process of coaching — coach-to-player relationships.
“I have so much respect for Phil as an athlete and person. I really like Phil. I value the relationship that we have.
“Have we had ups and downs through the course of three years or differences of opinions in certain situations? Of course. I think you could say that coach-to-player in a lot of situations. My commitment to our players is always to try and find common ground. Phil’s no different.”
Finding that common ground means taking feedback from players, which Sullivan does. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kessel and others provide it.
Sullivan said it’s his job to listen, take it all in and make the best decision for the group.
“As a coaching staff, we try to manage those ebbs and flows to help our team be successful,” Sullivan said. “That’s how we make the decisions. Phil understands that. Does he always agree with us? No. But I think he’s respectful of it.
“We certainly appreciate his vantage point and his opinion. We value that, just like we value Sid’s opinion and Geno’s opinion and other guys on the team as well. It’s my responsibility to manage the group as a whole. We try to make the best decisions for the team.”
One of the things that Sullivan finds most interesting about this whole thing is the idea that problems cropped up because Kessel wanted to play with Malkin, and Sullivan wouldn’t allow it.
“That’s not true,” Sullivan said. “Where did that come from? Who said that? Phil played a lot with Geno. Phil played most of the Philadelphia series with Geno.
“We think our team is at its best and has a competitive advantage when we create balance throughout our lineup. Sometimes that means we spread our stars. But we don’t always spread our stars. … It’s not like [Phil and Geno] don’t get the opportunity to play together.”
While saying this, Sullivan mentioned the odd shifts he gives the two of them together even if they don’t share a line, plus three-on-three, four-onfour and power-play time.
“Phil’s a great, competitive teammate, and he wants to help the Penguins win,” Sullivan said. “Him and I have a very candid relationship. Do we always agree on how we utilize Phil? No we don’t. For the most part I think there’s a mutual respect between this coaching staff and Phil in what we’re trying to accomplish.”
The issue of whether or not Kessel was hurt ratcheted up a couple hundred notches at season-ending news conferences for Sullivan and Rutherford. Sullivan said what was bothering Kessel wasn’t significant. Rutherford said injuries finally caught up to Kessel.
Those are both true, Sullivan insisted. Kessel was banged up — an accumulation of hockey played over the years — but the Penguins had a lot of guys who weren’t anywhere near 100 percent.
“There was no intent on my part, or Jim’s part, to create the speculation or controversy that resulted from that,” Sullivan said. “We were both trying to be straightforward. I think we both said the same things in a different way. People read into that. We can’t always control how people speculate.”
Not always, but when you speak as passionately as Sullivan did about this entire thing, it certainly carries some weight. And here’s the funny thing about answering all these Kessel questions: Sullivan was thrilled to do it.
“I’m glad you gave me an opportunity to set the record straight because I don’t think it’s fair to Phil,” Sullivan said. “He doesn’t have to read this stuff. I think sometimes words get put into my mouth that simply aren’t true. I have so much respect for Phil Kessel. I really like Phil Kessel as a person and an athlete.
“The way I look at it, coaches go through trials and tribulations with their team and their players. It’s hard to win in this league, and it’s not always warm and fuzzy. It’s a game that’s not for the faint of heart, but when you get on the other side of conflict, your relationships get stronger. I feel like that’s what’s happened with our coaching staff and this Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team. Phil’s part of that group.”