Former New York Rangers Forward Tony Granato Named Team USA Head Coach

Tony Granato, who began his NHL career with the New York Rangers, will lead Team USA in the 2018 Winter Olympics, taking place in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Friday, USA Hockey named Tony Granato, currently the head coach of the University of Wisconsin men’s ice hockey team, as head coach of Team USA. The assistant coaches that will join him are Chris Chelios, Rob Rolston, Keith Allain and Scott Young.

The announcement was made by Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s senior director of hockey operations.

Johannson: “Thrilled to announce that Tony Granato will be the head coach of the 2018 Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.”

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) August 4, 2017

This isn’t the first time that Granato will be involved with Team USA. He was an assistant coach with the 2014 Olympic team and he played for the 1988 Team USA Olympic squad. He has also skated in other USA World Championship teams in his career.

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Prior to his hiring by the University of Wisconsin, Granato coached for 13 years in the NHL with different a few different NHL clubs. That included a pair of stints as the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, where he compiled a 104-78-17-16 record.

Prior to coaching, Granato played 13 years in the NHL for the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Avalanche and, of course, the Rangers.

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