Blackhawks, assistant coach Don Granato ‘mutually part ways’

The Blackhawks and assistant coach Don Granato “mutually agreed to part ways,” the team announced Wednesday.

“We appreciate Don’s contributions to the Blackhawks organization while on the staff,” Blackhawks Head Coach Jeremy Colliton said in a release. “We wish him well in the future as he pursues other opportunities.”

Granato joined the Blackhawks coaching staff in June 2017 after two seasons as an associate head coach at the University of Wisconsin and five years working with the U.S. National Development Program. The Downers Grove, Ill. native spent two seasons behind the bench with the Blackhawks as a development coach.

The Blackhawks now only have one assistant coach in Sheldon Brookbank, who was promoted from the AHL in January after Barry Smith was moved back to the front office in his role as the Director of Player Evaluation. Brookbank, who won the Stanley Cup as a player with Chicago in 2013, shared his coaching duties with Granato but primarily worked with the defense and penalty kill.