GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Mike Sullivan is running into the unavoidable right away, starting his new journey with the New York Rangers against the team, including a handful of players, he will walk together with forever.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of mixed emotions," Sullivan said.

In a not-so-subtle decision by the NHL schedule makers, opposing the New York Rangers in Sullivan's debut as their coach at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday is the Pittsburgh Penguins (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, TVAS), the team he coached for the past decade.

The Rangers also play against the Penguins in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

"The relationships that I built with those guys were strong," Sullivan said. "We had the privilege of winning a couple of championships together, and I think when you go

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