ANAHEIM, Calif. – Before he joined Ralph Krueger's staff in Buffalo in 2019, Don Granato's most recent coaching experience came in Chicago, as an assistant to Joel Quenneville and Jeremy Colliton for two seasons from 2017-2019.
Quenneville brought Granato on to his staff but was fired by the Hawks in November of 2018. Granato was fired after the 2018-19 season.
Now the Sabres' head coach, Granato demurred on saying much Thursday night when asked by The Buffalo News for his thoughts on the Florida Panthers' firing of Quenneville. That decision came in the wake of revelations contained in a report issued Wednesday by a law firm commissioned by the Hawks.
In it, Quennville was noted as part of a May 23, 2010, meeting of top Hawks officials discussing the alleged sexual assault of "Black Ace" prospect Kyle Beach by Chicago video coach Brad Aldrich. Quenneville, who had said last summer he had only recently heard of the allegations, was listed in the report as saying the allegations would be a huge distraction with the start of the 2010 Stanley Cup final days away.
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Aldrich was able to stay on and be part of Chicago's Cup celebrations while Beach never made the NHL. Beach spoke passionately and emotionally about Quenneville and the Hawks in an interview aired Wednesday on TSN. Quenneville resigned from his job Thursday after a meeting in New York with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
"My only thoughts are obviously for Kyle and the whole situation. I really can't think anything beyond that," Granato said following the Sabres' 4-3 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks. "I don't know what that experience would be and to live with that for so long.
"So I don't have any thoughts other than for Kyle and anybody else that has gone through the hardship of that. I can't think past that actually so no, I don't have anything on that."
Quenneville had the Panthers off to a franchise-record 7-0 start. Florida is atop the NHL's overall standing as well as the Atlantic Division. The Sabres' have four meetings with the Panthers this season, the first coming Dec. 2 in Sunrise, Fla.
