Buffalo Sabres sign Don Granato to multi-year extension

The Buffalo Sabres have extended head coach Don Granato to a multi-year extension, as per the team.
🍝 Donny G! 🍝
We have signed Head Coach Don Granato to a multi-year extension: https://t.co/18zYpvtB62 pic.twitter.com/hVCWsdpptT
“Don’s passion for the game and leadership skills have been on display since the moment we met,” said Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams. “He is someone who the players have a tremendous amount of respect for, and he dedicates himself to bettering each individual on the team.
“Don’s mentality of ‘earning it’ resonates throughout the team – it is more than just a mindset, it is a driving force for our players and staff. I appreciate his thoughtfulness when it comes to developing our players and the open communication we are able to have about the team. I am happy to extend Don’s contract, keeping him in Western New York for many years to come.”
Granato has been the head coach of the Sabres since March 2021, when he replaced previous head coach Ralph Krueger after he was fired during a 6-18-4 start in the 2020-21 season. Granto didn’t drastically improve their situation in that lost season, going 9-16-3 for the rest of that season, but he saw big strides with the club in 2021-22, where the Sabres went 32-39-11 and finished fifth in the Atlantic division.
“He makes sure that you are confident,” said Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin last May. “He pushes you. He wants every single guy to succeed in there. You really feel that he has your back.”
Granato had previous coaching experience in the NHL as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues in 2005-06, the Chicago Blackhawks from 2017-2019, and then the Sabres from 2019 until when he took over as the head coach. He also has head coaching experience in the USHL, ECHL, and AHL, and spent time as a scout for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks.
“Me and Donny had a lot of talks on the outlook for my long-term future and we both felt that I was going to be a great player in this league,” said Sabres forward Tage Thompson. “The biggest thing was for it to happen now. That’s something I took to heart because I wanted to be a difference maker for this team. He gave me the opportunity and ice time, so it was up to me for taking the opportunity. I’m very thankful for the opportunity.”
The Sabres also extended GM Adams to a multi-year extension on September 21, so they now have both their head coach and general manager locked up long-term. Adams has been in the Sabres organization since 2009, serving as a development coach, assistant coach, director, and senior vice president of business administration at different points before he took over as GM in 2020-21.