Don Granato returns to NHL sidelines as assistant with Columbus Blue Jackets

Don Granato is back on NHL bench staff, this time in Columbus. According to Yahoo Sports, the Columbus Blue Jackets have added Granato as an assistant coach under head coach Rick Bowness, bringing a veteran voice and prior head-coaching experience to a team that continues to build out its coaching group ahead of the new season.

Granato’s path to Columbus is tied closely to his previous stop in Buffalo. He previously served as the head coach of the Sabres, but was fired in favor of Lindy Ruff, according to the Yahoo Sports report. Two years later, Granato has rejoined the NHL in a different role, shifting from running a staff as the head coach to assisting with daily structure, in-game decisions, and systems work as part of Bowness’s coaching team.

The report also situates Granato’s return within his activity during the offseason. Yahoo Sports says Granato kept his hand in high-level hockey in May by coaching Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in Switzerland. That international assignment matters in NHL coaching terms, because it reinforces visibility to elite-player decision-making, roster management in a short tournament window, and the ability to translate tactics across varied playing styles.

For the Blue Jackets, adding an experienced former head coach as an assistant can affect more than just the bench. Assistant coaches often serve as the bridge between the head coach’s identity and the players’ habits, particularly on topics like neutral-zone structure, special-teams responsibilities, and how a team responds to pressure over a 60-minute game. By bringing in Granato, Columbus is effectively leaning on a coach who has already built a team’s system from the top down and then had to adjust to new personnel and expectations after a leadership change.

Rick Bowness’s staff fit also shapes what Granato’s day-to-day role might emphasize. Bowness is known for a methodical, structure-first approach, and when a coach with prior head-coaching experience joins such a staff, it often creates a clearer distribution of labor: one coach sets the baseline identity, while another strengthens specific tactical layers and prepares players with detailed game-plan emphasis.

In Buffalo’s case, Granato’s return to the league as an assistant is also a reminder that coaching careers in the NHL frequently involve lateral moves. Being let go as a head coach does not end a coach’s influence, and the league’s ecosystem regularly routes former head coaches into assistant roles before another future opportunity. The Yahoo Sports report frames this as a continuation of his NHL presence rather than a terminal detour.

What to watch next for Columbus is how Granato’s responsibilities are reflected in team habits once games begin. Fans and analysts will likely focus on whether the Blue Jackets’ systems appear more tightly reinforced, particularly in the transitions between defensive coverage and breakout phases, and whether special teams show sharper execution. Granato’s experience can be particularly valuable if Columbus uses his background to refine the details of execution rather than only the broad concepts.

Because the report is a third-party account and the prompt does not include an official league or team announcement, this hiring should be treated as unverified until Columbus confirms the move through its own channels. Still, the timing and the specificity of the staff change described by Yahoo Sports give the move enough coherence to suggest it is a planned part of Columbus’s coaching-building process.