Mike Sullivan on Marshfield, what kids are missing these days and Greg Sheppard

Mike Sullivan experienced his greatest career accomplishments in Pittsburgh.

The 49-year-old Marshfield native coached the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Even though he’s quickly become a legend in the Steel City, his roots are strong in Boston.

He went to Boston College High School and Boston University before playing 11 seasons in the NHL. Sullivan eventually coached the Bruins from 2003-06 and now has been behind Pittsburgh’s bench the last two seasons.

Sullivan recently spoke with BostonSportsJournal.com for our continuing "New England Roots" series, about what it was like growing up in Marshfield as a sports fan, his success, the possibility of winning three consecutive championships.

McDonald: What was it like growing up in Marshfield and playing youth sports?

Sullivan: It was great. I was part of that generation that was a little bit transitional, in the sense that we had a fair amount of organized sports, but a fair amount of unorganized sports too. We were still on the playgrounds and on the ponds and didn’t come home until dinner time. Today’s children grew up in a very different world – everything is organized.

My generation was that transitional generation where we had unorganized sports where we played amongst ourselves on the playground or on the pond, and we grew up in a little bit of a structured environment as well, playing Marshfield youth hockey or the Plymouth County All-Stars on the South Shore and my dad was the coach all those years. That combination of the structure, but also the competition away from the analytical eye of parents and adults is so beneficial for kids. I was one of those kids that reaped the rewards of that.

McDonald: What’s your most vivid memory of youth sports?

Sullivan: The biggest thing that jumps out at me is when I played for the Plymouth County All-Stars all those years. We played in the Boston Metropolitan League, which was a real competitive league and all the best players in the state played there at that time. We had a real competitive team and my dad was the coach and my older brother, George, was a coach. We had a great team and I remember jumping in the car and carpooling with some of my friends and their parents. That team became so close over the years and all the kids developed friendships. Some of those kids I played with are my best friends to this day.

McDonald: What was your favorite pro team growing up?

Sullivan: The Bruins.

McDonald: Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

Sullivan: That’s a good question. I did that NESN show (On Course with Andy Brickley) with Brick before I came out to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago and he asked me who my favorite Bruin was and I told him my favorite Bruin was Greg Sheppard and (Brick) was blown away because most people say Bobby Orr. I was a little bit too young to see Bobby in his heyday. I caught the tail end of Bobby’s career and at the time players like Ray Bourque were young and just starting to come into the league, but Greg Sheppard was my favorite Bruin. I loved to watch him play center. Greg Sheppard and Jean Ratelle were the two guys I loved watching play when I was a kid.

As far as a favorite athlete, I loved watching all sports, not just hockey. Fred Lynn was my favorite baseball player when he played center field for the Red Sox. I can think of a lot of guys that were all part of the Boston sports scene that I loved watching.

McDonald: Do you prefer the old Boston Garden or Fenway Park?

Sullivan: Oh, that’s a tough call. There’s so much history and so much allure to both venues. That’s a tough call. I would probably have to say the Garden because I’m partial to hockey, but you couldn’t find two better-storied venues than those two.

McDonald: What’s it like being a Patriots fan and living in Pittsburgh?

Sullivan: I have to temper my loyalty. I have so much respect for Pittsburgh sports. Pittsburgh is a real unique town and we get so much support from the Steelers and their management, coaches and players, and the Pirates as well. I’ve had the privilege of meeting and getting to know Clint Hurdle and Mike Tomlin. Kevin Colbert, the general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a huge Penguins fan. These guys are terrific people, so I’ve grown to become a Pittsburgh sports fan, just because of that unique fraternity that exists. In all the years I’ve been coaching I’ve never been to a city that’s been quite like Pittsburgh in that regard. But, I have to say it’s a difficult one when they play the Patriots.

McDonald: Have you ever met Bill Belichick?

Sullivan: I have not but I would love to.

McDonald: How would you describe the last two seasons with the Penguins?

Sullivan: It’s hard to put it into words. I wake up in the morning and I still pinch myself to make sure this has actually been a real experience. We couldn’t have dreamt it any better than the way it’s played out. It’s been a lot of hard work to get to the point where I’m at right now and I’m so grateful for the opportunity that Pittsburgh has given me. Jim Rutherford, Mario and Ron Burkle – the ownership group – have been so supportive and I’m grateful.

We’ve got a terrific group of players. They’re a privilege to coach. We have some difference-makers. When you look at the two Stanley Cup runs we went on, they were completely different. The first year we won everything came together at the end of the season. We went 18-3 in the last 21 games of the regular season and we were a pretty dominant team through the playoffs.

This past year, we had so many injuries and some night just trying to field lineups was a challenge, and yet, these guys never looked for excuses. They found ways to win. I couldn’t be more proud of the group that we have, but as far as what it’s meant to me, and looking back at the last two seasons, it’s hard for me to put into words and articulate it.

McDonald: What are the chances for a three-peat?

Sullivan: It’s a lofty goal and we’ll have the very same conversation we had last year at training camp. I told these guys from Day 1 of training camp last year that all the naysayers are out there. History is telling us we can’t repeat, all the statistics and odds are against us because no one has done it in the modern-day game and my question to them was ‘Why not? It’s got to be done at some point, so why not us?’ It’s a daily endeavor. It’s about a commitment level. It’s a willingness to come to the rink, work hard and embrace the process and find ways to overcome challenges when they present themselves. These guys met every challenge.

I’m looking at this season with the same thought in mind. We’ve got hard-core players who are in the prime of their careers. They’re terrific players and they know how to win and they’re hungry. When I look at our roster and look at our lineup, we have high expectations of our group. I understand it’s difficult to win, and those of us who have been through that Stanley Cup-run and played all the way to the finals and fortunate enough to win it, we’ve gained another level of appreciation of how difficult it is. So, we know how hard it is to win but we certainly believe in this group and we believe we have as good a chance as anybody.