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The Buffalo Sabres have fired head coach Don Granato, one day after the 13th consecutive season without a post-season appearance came to an end.
The Sabres also dismissed assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith.
“I would like to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and commitment to the Sabres organization,” said general manager Kevyn Adams. “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.”
Buffalo closed the season with a win over the Lightning on Monday, but missed the playoffs with a 39-37-6 record.
Granato, 56, was promoted to interim head coach from assistant coach in March 2021 when the Sabres fired Ralph Krueger.
The interim tag was removed prior to the 2021-22 season. The Sabres made a 16-point leap in 2022-23 with a young, talented roster, but couldn’t duplicate that success this season.
Granato broke into the NHL coaching ranks as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017. Previously, he was head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program and an assistant for the Wisconsin men’s NCAA team.
The Sabres have had a revolving door in the coaching office under owner Terry Pegula. Granato is the seventh head coach the team has had since Pegula purchased the Sabres in 2011.
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