Don Granato Stays in Buffalo, Looks to Buoy Sinking Sabres

Rip off the "interim" tag and throw it in the garbage, Sabres fans. Don Granato is here to stay.

Actually, that's exactly what the team did.

As the video so eloquently shows, Don Granato has officially (and finally) been named head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, the 20th in franchise history. Granato was named interim head coach on March 17, 2021, after then-head coach Ralph Krueger was fired. Granato helped the Sabres end an (at the time) 18-game losing streak, finishing the season with a record of 9-16-3.

For Granato, this job is the peak of a coaching career spanning four decades.

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Granato began his coaching journey where many American-born hockey players begin theirs...in the United States Hockey League, or USHL. He coached two teams in the state of Wisconsin until 1997, before joining the professional ranks in the ECHL. His career took him as high as the NHL as an assistant coach, a job he did for one season in 2005, and consistently from 2017 through last season.

Granato also comes from one of the most successful hockey families in recent history. His sister, Cammi, is currently a scout for the Seattle Kraken, and was a gold medal winner at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. Tony, meanwhile, is currently the head coach of the Wisconsin men's hockey team. Cammi is also married to Ray Ferraro, who scored over 400 goals in the NHL, and is currently an analyst for ESPN and TSN.

Granato is the next domino to fall in what has been an active coaching carousel in the NHL, especially in New York. The Rangers announced the hiring of Gerard Gallant roughly a week ago, and Dave Hakstol was recently named the first head coach of the Kraken. Granato brings a steady hand and a deep coaching background to the Sabres, who desperately need SOMEONE to lead the team in a positive direction.

The question for Granato now...will he have Jack Eichel on his bench come Opening Night 2021?