Todd Reirden will be sticking around in Pittsburgh for a couple more years, at least.
The Penguins have signed him to a two-year contract extension in addition to promoting him to associate coach, it was announced by Ron Hextall on Thursday.
Reirden, 51, has been an assistant coach on Mike Sullivan's staff since the start of the 2020-21 season. His main duties include managing the team's defensemen and conducting the power play units.
"Todd plays an important role on our coaching staff," Hextall said. "He’s had a proven impact on the defensemen and contributes to the coaching staff as a whole with his wealth of knowledge from over a decade as an NHL coach. We are excited to extend his contract."
This is Reirden's second tenure with the Penguins, as he was an assistant coach with the team from 2010-14 before spending six seasons coaching with the Capitals, the final two of which he served as their head coach. He also coached the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from 2008-10 as an assistant and head coach.
"As a coaching staff we value Todd’s knowledge, experience and passion for the game," Sullivan said. "He challenges us, as coaches, to be better every day and his relationships with the players are invaluable. He is deserving of this promotion and we are excited for him."
Many tied to the organization have raved about Reirden's ability to get the most out of defensemen throughout both of his stints with the Penguins, and now his newest task will consist of navigating the proper deployment and personnel usage of the nine defensemen currently under contract.
Earlier on Thursday Hextall announced the Penguins have hired hired Jesse Green as director of performance & sport science and Jason Meehan as director of reconditioning. Brandon Mazza has been promoted to performance therapist/athletic trainer.
Green, 28, will manage the performance side of the Penguins' new Integrated Performance Team and will report to senior vice president of integrated performance, Teena Murray, who was recently hired. Like Murray, Green comes to the Penguins from the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. Green served as the Kings' head of sport science as well as director of performance and sport science in his four seasons with the team.
Meehan, 49, will manage the reconditioning side of the Integrated Performance Team, which will consist of overseeing the return to performance programming for injured players. A certified athletic therapist, kinesiologist, massage therapist and medical acupuncturist, Meehan worked as the head therapist for Canada Basketball’s Senior Men’s National Team since 2011.
Mazza, 36, has been with the Penguins for 12 years as their associate athletic trainer. He carries a bachelor of science in athletic training from Duquesne University and is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
