PITTSBURGH — Can a coach win the Conn Smythe Trophy?
That was the question someone tried to ask Mike Sullivan the other day.
It was meant as a joke, something to break the ice and get the Pittsburgh Penguins head coach talking about his impact on the team and its success during the regular season and the playoffs.
But, as with most jokes, it was steeped in some level of truth.
Sullivan obviously could not win the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the player — not a coach — who is deemed most valuable to his team during the NHL playoffs.