BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The Buffalo Sabres named Don Granato head coach on Tuesday, removing the interim tag he carried after taking over for for Ralph Krueger during last season.

The Sabres went 9-16-3 under Granato and finished in last place, but did show improvement under Granato’s watch.

This will be Granato’s first NHL head-coaching job. The 53-year-old joined the Sabres as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 season.

Granato is the 20th head coach in Sabres history:

• Punch Imlach (1971-1972): 119 games, 0.374 points%
• Joe Crozier (1972-1974): 192 games, 0.492 points%
• Floyd Smith (1972-1977): 241 games, 0.668 points%
• Marcel Pronovost (1978-1979): 104 games, 0.611 points%
• Billy Inglis (1979-1979): 56 games, 0.589 points%
• Scotty Bowman (1980-1987): 404 games, 0.594 points%
• Roger Neilson (1981-1981): 80 games, 0.619 points%
• Jimmy Roberts (1982-1982): 45 games, 0.556 points%
• Jim Schoenfeld (1986-1986): 43 games, 0.5 points%
• Craig Ramsay (1987-1987): 21 games, 0.238 points%
• Ted Sator (1987-1989): 207 games, 0.517 points%
• Rick Dudley (1990-1992): 188 games, 0.535 points%
• John Muckler (1992-1995): 268 games, 0.53 points%
• Ted Nolan (1996-2015): 308 games, 0.425 points%
• Lindy Ruff (1998-2013): 1165 games, 0.56 points%
• Ron Rolston (2013-2014): 51 games, 0.431 points%
• Dan Bylsma (2016-2017): 164 games, 0.485 points%
• Phil Housley (2018-2019): 164 games, 0.421 points%
• Ralph Krueger (2020-2021): 97 games, 0.433 points%
• Don Granato (2021): 28 games, 0.375 points%

Granato will meet with the media at 11 a.m. Thursday. You can watch the press conference live on WIVB.com.

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