Buffalo Sabres assistant coach Don Granato has been hospitalized with severe pneumonia and will be taking a medical leave from the team, the club announced on Tuesday.
Chris Taylor, the head coach of the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, will assist the Sabres' coaching staff in the interim. Meanwhile, Americans assistant coach Gord Dineen will serve as head coach of the AHL squad.
Granato, 52, joined Ralph Krueger's staff with the Sabres in June following two seasons as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks. He previously served as associate coach at Wisconsin and spent seven campaigns as head coach of the St. Louis Blues' AHL affiliates.
He also won the ECHL's Kelly Cup as head coach of the Peoria Rivermen in 2000 and led the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2013 to 2016.
Granato is the brother of former NHL forward and current University of Wisconsin bench boss Tony Granato, as well as U.S. women's hockey legend Cammi Granato.
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