CHICAGO, Ill – The Wolves turned to a native son in naming a successor to John Anderson, selecting Don Granato to become the fifth head coach in the team’s history.
The Downers Grove, Ill. native moved up the coaching ranks, winning the ECHL Championship with Peoria before moving on to the Worcester IceCats in the AHL in the 2001 season taking the team to the playoffs every year but his last, in 2005. He left the team when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After treatment he got the call-up as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues and for the past two years he was a pro scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the press conference at Harry Caray’s Restaurant in downtown Chicago, the announcement was made official. The room was packed with team executives and press but the room was half filled with varying members of the Granato family. Wayne Messmer, senior vice president of the Wolves, called them Chicago’s First Family of Hockey. Granato is the brother of former player and NHL Head Coach Tony and Olympian and media analyst Cammi. Messmer quipped about the crowd, “This is not an attempt just to increase our attendance significantly by just inviting the Granato family, but what the heck.” Granato talked a bit on the team in relationship to hockey in Chicago and they way things were growing up, “As a kid growing up passionate about hockey, we were always overshadowed as a player in this community with football or baseball. Anytime you see or I see, I can reflect on being a kid and whining that our sport should be appreciated. Anytime we get a turnout like this I certainly want to acknowledge to you guys that showed up today (with) a big thanks for spreading hockey and the excitement for hockey and the passion for hockey for all t hose kids out there in this community.” Granato commented on the team and their relationship in the community, “The Wolves have been around for fourteen years and they have really gained a lot of respect not for only how the management team is operating the team but the fact that they’re in this community that I grew up in. I go to games, I went to games as a scout, and even before that I coached against the Wolves in this league. The turnout and the enthusiasm and the passion in that building for hockey is very inspiring to someone that has grown up in this area to see them actively involved with development of our sport in the community. That’s very big and very special to me. “I am very happy to be here today but in no way am I content. When you take a job like this, it’s exciting. it surely is exciting to be back in Chicago,” as Granato talked about wanting more. “Especially traveling away from home to follow and pursue our sport. It’s great to be back home and around family but there is a job to do. Although I’m happy, we’ve talked about this many times with players, we can’t be content in our business.” On the task at hand, he said, “I accept this position with what’s been established. The group of guys up here has been able to establish a winning tradition which really is exceptional in the world of sports. It’s my job to come in here and not only to maintain the level of excellence that has been here but to find ways to add to it. I’m not coming in here riding on the white horse and looking to change, if anything I am looking for ways to add to what success that is already been here and add to the strong foundation that is already in place. “ Granato is very passionate about being able to get this job with the Wolves. Once Anderson got his call from the parent Atlanta Thrashers, Granato immediately contacted the team about the opening. He considers the organization one of the best in any sport and can rate the establishment better than some NHL team on all levels.
General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had nothing but praise for his new coach, saying, “The more that I talked to Don Granato the more I became comfortable and the more that I became confident that he certainly was the guy that embodied all the things that we wanted and more. Don is a very passionate guy. If you get into the room with him and start talking hockey you better book off a couple of hours because he has a lot to say, he has a lot of knowledge, he’s got a long history of developing young players, he got a history of winning championships, he’s got a history of being a battler, he got a history of being a tremendously strong character, and he has a history of wanting to coach.” He will pretty much have the same staff. Wendell Young will still be on board as an assistant, but Todd Nelson will be in Atlanta, serving in the same function he held to Anderson in Chicago last year. Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
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