Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato has been named as an assistant coach for Team USA at the World Championship for the third time.
“It’s always an honor to do that," said Granato following Friday's practice. "David Quinn and I have had a long relationship for many years, and we’ve always looked forward, at some point, to being on a staff together. So I’m excited to be part of that staff.”
As far as the other assistants on that staff go, Granato says he’s worked with Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill in Europe, and against Minnesota State Mavericks head coach Mike Hastings when they were head coaches in the United States Hockey League.
Granato is also looking forward to getting the chance to coach other players.
“It’s an exciting group to work with, and you have lots of special players around the league," Granato said. "The last team I was with, Patrick Kane was on the team, and it’s pretty neat to walk into a foreign country (Finland), wearing a USA jersey and pooling all this NHL talent.”
There are quite a few Sabres players that Granato said are getting consideration for the tournament starting May 13 in Tampere and Helsinki, Finland. Americans on the Sabres' roster include Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Casey Mittelstadt, Kyle Okposo, Mattias Samuelsson, Casey Fitzgerald, Will Butcher, Anders Bjork, Vinnie Hinostroza, Craig Anderson and John Hayden.
Granato says it will be up to those players if they want to participate, and he would never put pressure on them to play.
“You don’t do a lot of lobbying, because it’s their professional career, and it is a window into their offseason and, in-part, into their recovery," he said. "A lot of guys are beaten up and bruised, and they have to get back into the weight room and training.”
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott was at Thursday's game, and he even spent a few hours with Granato and the players before the game. McDermott was interested to see how NHL players prepare, and he was impressed.
Granato asked McDermott to address the team before the game, and he referenced to the players how he changed the culture in 2017 when he arrived. He said he's seeing the same thing watching these players on the ice.
“That was a lot of fun having coach around," Granato said of Thursday's experience with McDermott. "We talked about the different nuances of the game like how hockey players act and prepare, and I was picking his brain a lot and asking him a lot of questions on how they do things.”
The Sabres head coach also says McDermott texts him a lot, and they are always encouraging each other.
“When I do see him text - which is fairly frequently - it’s pretty darn nice, and it was from the first moment I took the job," Granato said of their communication. "Through the offseason, through the trade deadline, he sends a text, and it’s pretty special knowing how intense his schedule is.”
As for Friday's practice, Samuelsson was not on the ice once again. He missed Thursday's game against the St. Louis Blues with an injury. Despite that, Granato says his defenseman is very close to a return.
“He’s progressing, and I do expect him to play at least one of these two games. I mean, that’s the hope,” he said.
Granato shuffled the lines on Thursday, but doesn’t know if anyone should get comfortable with them.
“I’m undecided on what we’ll do in the game [Saturday]," he said. "It could look like it did in practice, it could look like it was the last game. I’m not certain on it.”
Granato has spoken all season about experimenting with things, and this is no different.
“We’re running down to the end here, and it’s in our best interest to get as many different looks as we can," Granato said. "Now’s our opportunity to tweak things and look at things a little bit.”
Friday’s lines:
Forwards:
Skinner – Thompson – Olofsson
Asplund – Cozens – Okposo
Krebs – Mittelstadt – Tuch
Bjork – Girgensons – Hinostroza
Hayden – Eakin
Defense:
Bryson – Dahlin
Power – Jokiharju
Butcher – Fitzgerald
Miller - Pysyk
