Sabres fire coach Don Granato
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Sabres have fired coach Don Granato and two of his assistants, the team announced Tuesday morning.
Granato concluded his third full season behind the Sabres bench with a 39-37-6 record, missing the playoffs for an NHL-record 13th consecutive season. Including his time as interim head coach in 2021, Granato had a 122-125-27 record.
The seventh head coach to be relieved of his duties during Terry Pegula's ownership of the Sabres, Granato had the most success and longest tenure of the playoff drought. The move comes with the 56-year-old Granato still having two seasons left on his contract, which featured an extension that kicked in to start next season.
"I would like to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and commitment to the Sabres organization," general manager Kevyn Adams said in a news release. "He has been integral in the development of many of our players and has undoubtedly been the right coach to bring us to where we are now, but I felt it was necessary to move in a different direction at this point in time. My expectation is to be a consistent contender and unfortunately that goal has not been met."
Adams will address the media at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The Sabres also announced that assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith have been relieved of their duties.
"I would also like to thank Jason and Matt for their contributions to the team," Adams said. "This is not a decision I take lightly but know it is in the best interest of our team moving forward."
Buffalo stumbled through a season in which the team won three straight games just twice and were too often unable to overcome slow starts.
This was not the expectation for a team that opened the season with Adams declaring the window of contention as being open. The blossoming hopes were generated by the Sabres missing the playoffs by two points last season.
The playoff drought stands as being tied with the New York Jets as the longest active streak in North America’s four major professional sports.
***
Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
The Associated Press contributed.