New Voice, Big Impact

Dan Muse went from being a hire that surprised a lot of people to finishing his first season in Pittsburgh as one of three finalists for the Jack Adams Award, presented annually “to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.”

Muse led Pittsburgh to a 41-25-16 record and 98 points, helping the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign.

His 41 wins were tied for the third-most in franchise history by a coach in their first year with the team, and his 98 points tied a franchise record for most points accumulated by a coach in their first year.

“Obviously, well deserved,” Penguins Team MVP Erik Karlsson said. “There’s a couple (coaches) around the league that have done an exceptional job. He’s one of them.

"Obviously, easy for me to speak about him and the impact that he’s had on this group. The results throughout the 82-game season show that. He had a big part of that. A big reason why we all succeeded both as individuals and as a game. It’s very well deserved and it’s not something that I can say that I’m surprised about that he’s nominated for that.”

When the Penguins traveling party got off the team buses to board the flight home to Pittsburgh following Game 6 in Philadelphia, Muse personally thanked every single person for their contributions this season. And when Muse got asked about the Jack Adams Award, he immediately deferred credit to them and the rest of the organization, as he is as humble as they come.

“I think, number one, it’s recognition to the organization,” Muse said. “Starting with the players that are on the ice playing the game. I think it’s also the coaching staff as a whole. There’s so much that goes into it, so much behind the scenes.

“So, the recognition there… my name’s on it, but I think this is more of an organizational thing than anything else. Players, entire staff, everybody. Even the people just behind the scenes, you know, that make the environment here what it is.”

But if you talk to any of the people he mentioned, they agree that Muse did an unbelievable job of fostering an environment that allowed players to reach their potential, and the group to get results.

“He did so much. I think he really built the whole team,” Rickard Rakell said. “You could see up and down the lineup, guys having career years and playing a big role on our team. I think that’s the biggest reason for us getting into the playoffs and becoming a better team.”

It starts with Muse’s positivity, which Ryan Shea said is second to none.

"It's the NHL. You play 82 games. I would say probably 15 of them aren't going to be great games. He's not going to punish you. He's going to put that positivity back into you and bring the best out of guys,” said Shea, who had a breakout season.

“And I think for me, it's a huge thing. I was allowed to play my game, and a lot of guys were, without the fear of coming out of the lineup or getting sat certain shifts. So, I think his positivity went a long way and helped us win a lot of games.”

When the Penguins first hired Muse in June, those who knew him best talked about his tireless work ethic.

“He just really cares about his job. You don't meet many guys who work harder than Dan Muse. He would be at the rink at crazy hours,” said Nick Bonino, who joined the coaching staff as an assistant this season after playing under Muse when he was an assistant with the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators.

That passion stuck out to Kris Letang right away.

“I'm kind of a guy that stays at the rink late, and he's here even later than me,” the 20-year veteran defenseman said with a laugh. “So, it's crazy the amount of work he puts in.”

It allowed Muse to hit the ground running on Day 1 of training camp, impressing Sidney Crosby with the level of preparation.

“I’m sure, as a coach coming in, he wanted to set the standard and the tone right away. I felt that we were able to do that,” the Penguins captain said. “We were organized, and we had an idea of how we wanted to play.

“I felt like the longer the season went, the better we got. With all of the injuries and things we went through, different guys stepped up. As far as Dan, I think he was just super organized, communicated really well, and guys responded well."

Muse’s door is always open to anyone who wants to talk, and he often seeks out players himself. On the road, you see him talking with guys after arriving at the hotel, waiting to board the plane, or in different areas of the rink.

“The communication with the players, I've never seen something like that,” Letang said. “He really sits down with everybody and he has inputs and he tells what he sees.”

And it’s not always hockey-related.

“It’s also about personal stuff, and really taking an interest in everybody's lives. That speaks volumes,” Bryan Rust said.

In the coming weeks and months, Muse is looking forward to enjoying quality time with his own family. But he’ll also be plugging away at ways to improve before the puck drops on the 2026-27 season.

“I'll be able to take a little bit of time to look at those areas that I know I need to improve on as a coach and my role within this organization, and then attack it over the summer,” Muse said. “And I'll be asking my staff to do the exact same thing, and we're asking the players to do the exact same thing. We’ll learn from this year, and then you take those areas that you know we need to get better in.”