Sabres name Don Granato head coach

The Buffalo Sabres named Don Granato their new full-time head coach Tuesday, the team announced.

Granato is returning on a three-year deal, reports ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

Granato served as interim head coach after Ralph Krueger was fired in March. He originally joined the Sabres as an assistant coach in 2019.

In 28 games, Granato's Sabres went 9-16-3 as they finished last in the league. Despite the poor record, young players such as Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt seemed to thrive with Granato as head coach.

The Sabres reportedly interviewed a number of candidates for the position after the regular season ended, and Rick Tocchet was one of the finalists.

This marks Granato's first time as a permanent NHL head coach.