Granato signs multiyear contract as Sabres coach

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Don Granato signed a multiyear contract Wednesday as coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

The 55-year-old enters his second full season. He replaced Ralph Krueger on May 17, 2021 and was retained June 29.

“Don’s passion for the game and leadership skills have been on display since the moment we met,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. “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.”

The Sabres begin their season at home against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, TSN5, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW). They were 32-39-11 last season and have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011 but went 16-9-3 in 28 games from March 2 to the end of 2021-22, a .625 points percentage that was tied for 12th in the NHL with the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. They return a core group of young players led by defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 and 2021 NHL Draft, respectively.

“We need to get stronger, and we need to focus on that and grow,” Granato said. “Winning some games last year, yeah, it’s reassuring. But it’s not what we want. Our appetite is much, much bigger than that. So, it just drives our group for more.”

Adams signed a multiyear contract as GM on Sept. 21.

“I mean we have a long way to go,” Adams said. “We have to earn everything. This time last year, we talked a lot about we have to earn the respect within our locker room of each other. We have to earn the respect through the staff. We have to earn the fans respect. We have to earn the media’s respect. And I think our guys took that to heart and took some big steps last year in connecting with what it means to be a Sabre, and really showing that they want to be here for the right reasons.”