USA Hockey Reveals 2026 Men's National Team Head Coach

USA Hockey has named a former Buffalo Sabres head coach as the HC for the upcoming 2026 Men's National Team.

Jan 28, 2023; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; The Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato with referee Chris Lee (28) against the Minnesota Wild in the third period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Don Granato has been named the head coach of the 2026 U.S. Men's National Team by USA Hockey.

Don Granato has been named head coach of the 2026 U.S. Men's National Team. #MensWorlds 🇺🇸

Details: https://t.co/bCXDRYA66k pic.twitter.com/TMvUQnrzDk

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) March 25, 2026

The U.S. will enter the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship as the defending gold medalist. The 16-team tournament has Team USA in Group A for the preliminary round alongside Austria, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia and host Switzerland.

All Group A games will be played at Swiss Life Arena in Zurich. Team USA will face Germany in a pre-tournament game on May 10. Granato has over 30 years of coaching experience across NHL, AHL and ECHL in addition to USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, college hockey and the USHL.

General manager of the 2026 U.S. Men’s National Team and also assistant general manager of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, Brett Peterson, said Granato knows what it takes to see success for the U.S. at the international level of play.

"Don is an excellent coach who brings a wealth of experience,” Peterson said. "He really understands the international hockey landscape and what it takes to win.”

Don Granato Named 2026 U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach

Granato has served as either head or assistant coach for six previous IIHF world championships, including three IIHF Men’s World Championships; one IIHF World Junior Championship; and two IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championships. 

He said he is honored at this latest opportunity.

“I’m honored to be asked to coach our men’s national team,” said Granato, per Team USA. “Anytime you have the opportunity to represent your country, it’s incredibly meaningful. I’m excited to work with our players and staff in building a team that represents our country well and competes for a gold medal.”

Dec 15, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato looks on in the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Granato most recently served as head coach of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres from 2021-24 after coming to the club as an assistant coach in 2019-20 and then being named interim head coach in March of 2021.

Granato served as a head coach at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program from 2011-17 and during that time guided the NTDP’s U.S. National Under-18 Team to a pair of championships at the Under-18 Four Nations Tournament in 2012 and 2014.

On the international stage, Granato has served as an assistant coach of a U.S. Men’s National Team on three different occasions, including in 2022, 2018 (bronze medal) and 2014.

The Americans have won 36 of 48 games in the men’s world championships over the last five years and earned two medals in the process, including gold last year and bronze in 2021. The 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship is slated for May 15-31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland.

USA Hockey recently headlined the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with all three U.S. team sweeping the gold medals — the men's, women's and Paralympic/SLED teams all brought back the Olympic gold medals to the United States.

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