Granato returns as Avs coach

by James Mirtle on May 22, 2008 10:53 AM CDT Comment 0 comments

Colorado Avalanche Executive Vice President & General Manager Francois Giguere announced today the appointment of Tony Granato as the franchise’s head coach. Granato previously served as the team’s head coach from 2002-2004.

Granato completed his fifth season behind the Avalanche bench in 2008, his sixth year overall with the organization. After joining the club as an assistant coach on June 18, 2002, Granato was introduced as the 11th head coach in franchise history on Dec. 18, 2002. He compiled a record of 72-33-17-11, which included a 32-11-4-4 stretch to close out the 2002-03 season with the franchise’s NHL record ninth consecutive division title. Granato reached the 50-win mark in 87 games, the 11th fastest mark in NHL history.

He returned to his position as assistant coach in 2005-06 and spent the last three years in that capacity.
>> team release

What's old is new again. When Bob Hartley was fired in the middle of 2002-03, Granato originally got the gig, and when Joel Quenneville became available in 2004, then-GM Pierre Lacroix decided to push Granato into the assistant's role.

And now he's back in the top job again.

Not a bad choice given he had some success the last time he was behind the bench.