DALLAS — Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has seen the speculation surrounding him and winger Phil Kessel — that their relationship is in tatters — and Sullivan hasn’t been a big fan.
It’s unfair to Kessel, Sullivan feels. It’s also inaccurate, the coach repeated several times during a fiery interview Friday night during the first round of the NHL Draft at American Airlines Center.
In his comments, Sullivan defended his relationship with Kessel while also addressing the explanations he and general manager Jim Rutherford provided when discussing whatever it was that happened to Kessel in the playoffs. Sullivan also addressed the topic of Kessel’s linemates, but the biggest over-arching theme was a defense of one of his star players.