from Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
After the NHL took control of the Stanley Cup in 1927, it didn’t take long for an American coach to win it. Bill Stewart was the first to do so, leading the Chicago Black Hawks to the title in 1938.
The wait for the second American Stanley Cup-winning coach was just a bit longer -— 53 years, to be exact, when “Badger” Bob Johnson led the Penguins to the team’s first title.
While American coaches have established themselves as a presence in the NHL over the past 25 years, this upcoming Stanley Cup final between the Penguins and Nashville Predators will set a new benchmark.
For the first time, two American coaches — the Penguins’ Mike Sullivan and Nashville’s Peter Laviolette — will coach against each other for hockey’s ultimate prize.
Not only are both American, but both are Massachusetts natives, too. Mr. Sullivan is from Marshfield, Mass., while Mr. Laviolette grew up about 35 miles west in Franklin.
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