Buffalo Sabres fire head coach Don Granato after missing playoffs for 13th straight season 

The Buffalo Sabres announced on Tuesday morning that they have relieved head coach Don Granato of his duties. 

Buffalo also parted ways with assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith. 

Granato, 56, coached four seasons with the Sabres, finishing with a 122-125-27 record and missing the postseason in each. 

“I would like to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and commitment to the Sabres organization,” said General Manager Kevyn Adams in a statement issued by the team. “He has been integral in the development of many of our players and has undoubtedly been the right coach to bring us to where we are now, but I felt it was necessary to move in a different direction at this point in time. My expectation is to be a consistent contender and unfortunately, that goal has not been met.”

Christie, 54, spent three seasons with Buffalo, while Smith was hired as video coordinator in 2022. 

“I would also like to thank Jason and Matt for their contributions to the team,” Adams added. “This is not a decision I take lightly, but know it is in the best interest of our team moving forward.”

The Sabres have not made the postseason since 2011. But in 2022-23, they made a big leap behind young superstar Tage Thompson. With Thompson scoring 47 goals, Buffalo finished just one point out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So while the pressure was high, the Sabres fell flat this season, going 39-37-6 and missing the postseason by at least five points. 

Thompson’s numbers dipped (29 goals), the team finished 22nd in goals per game, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s solid .910 save percentage was not enough to get them over the hill. 

Granato signed a two-year contract extension in October, so Buffalo will still need to pay him around $1.9 million over the next two seasons. 

There are a plethora of options to replace Granato in Buffalo. But one name that will be on top of their minds is Rochester Americans (American Hockey League) head coach Seth Abbert. 

Buffalo’s season came to an end on Monday with a 4-2 win at the Tampa Bay Lightning.