Don Granato Out as Buffalo Sabres Head Coach | NHL News
The Buffalo Sabres have parted ways with head coach Don Granato, the team announced on Wednesday, . The move comes after the Sabres failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 13th consecutive season, extending the longest active drought in the National Hockey League.
Granato, who had been with the organization since , initially as an assistant coach, was elevated to interim head coach in and then secured the full-time position later that year. He compiled a record of 122 wins, 124 losses, and 27 ties in 274 regular season games at the helm of the Sabres. Despite the lengthy tenure, Granato was unable to guide the team to postseason play.
The decision, while not unexpected given the team’s continued struggles to reach the playoffs, marks a significant shift for the Sabres, who entered this season with aspirations of competing for a playoff berth. The team finished the season with 84 points in 82 games, placing 12th in the Eastern Conference.
“I want to thank Don for his time in Buffalo,” said Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams in a statement. “He has been an important part of the progress of many of our players and was certainly the right coach to get us to where we are today. We felt it was the right time to move in a different direction. My expectation is to be among the contenders for a playoff spot and even a championship run, and that wasn’t achieved this season.”
Granato’s coaching career extends beyond his time in Buffalo. He previously served as a coach in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Green Bay Gamblers and Wisconsin Capitols, leading the Gamblers to the league finals. He also held positions with the Columbus Chill and Peoria Rivermen of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), winning the Kelly Cup with Peoria in 2000. He later coached the Worcester IceCats of the American Hockey League (AHL), earning the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding coach in .
Prior to taking the head coaching role with the Sabres, Granato spent time as an assistant coach with several NHL teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues. He also has experience coaching U.S. Youth national teams.
The Sabres’ prolonged playoff drought places significant pressure on the organization to find a coach who can elevate the team to contention. The search for Granato’s replacement is underway, and Adams indicated the team is looking for a coach who can deliver on the promise of a competitive team.
The situation also raises questions about the future of forward Zemgus Girgensons, who has been with the Sabres for 13 seasons. He is currently without a contract and had a statistically challenging season, recording eight goals and six assists in 63 games – a four-point decrease from the previous season. His future with the team remains uncertain.
Granato becomes the eighth NHL coach to be relieved of his duties during the season, highlighting the intense pressure faced by coaches in the league to achieve immediate results. The Sabres now embark on a crucial offseason, seeking a new leader to break their playoff curse and usher in a new era of success.