NHL Insider Reveals Contenders In Penguins Coaching Search

The Pittsburgh Penguins are narrowing down their options.

Kyle Dubas is conducting in-person interviews with candidates this week in Pittsburgh, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.

So, who is on the list?

“Mitch Love, I mentioned earlier this week, I think he was going to Pittsburgh this week,” Friedman said on the latest episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast. “I’m thinking D.J. Smith, I’m thinking Jay Woodcroft … I’ll always admit I could be missing names, that there are things out there I don’t see. But I think those are three of Pittsburgh’s finalists.”

It’s worth noting that Love and Smith have been linked to the Penguins since the search began, with Dubas overseas serving as Team Canada’s general manager during the 2025 IIHF World Championships.

Love appears to be on the short list of contenders, although the Washington Capitals assistant is also reported to be linked to the only other team looking for its new bench boss — the Boston Bruins.

“The Penguins are very impressed with everything Love had to say while interviewing,” The Athletic’s Josh Yohe wrote in a column Thursday. “Dubas and the Penguins are impressed with his involvement in the Washington Capitals’ success. In many ways, the Penguins would like to be the Capitals.”

Yohe points out that while the Penguins are rebuilding, the franchise also has a superstar in Sidney Crosby to help mentor and bring along the talented young players in the organization. Those factors bode well for Smith as well as Love.

“In some ways, the Kings mirror the Capitals,” Yohe wrote. “They’re tough and good defensively. They have a lot of good, young players. They’ve bounced back quickly after falling from their championship days to become contenders again.”

Woodcroft was last behind the bench as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He was fired early in his third season with Edmonton after the team got off to a 3-9-1 start in 2023-24.

The Penguins and Bruins are the two remaining teams still searching for their next bench boss.  Former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan signed with the Rangers just days after parting ways with Pittsburgh. The Vancouver Canucks hired Adam Foote, the Philadelphia Flyers landed on Rick Tocchet, the Anaheim Ducks agreed to terms with Joel Quenneville, the Chicago Blackhawks picked up Tampa Bay Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill and the Seattle Kraken nabbed Lane Lambert from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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