Sabres coach Don Granato out with illness, Seth Appert called up from Rochester
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — An illness has kept Sabres coach Don Granato from being behind the bench for Buffalo’s game the against Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Seth Appert, coach of the Sabres' minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans, will fill in for Granato against Columbus. It’s unclear how much time Granato will miss. Buffalo is set to play at Ottawa on Sunday before enjoying a three-day break.
The Sabres have dropped four of five, including a 9-4 loss to the Blue Jackets on Dec. 1.
The 56-year-old Granato ran Buffalo's practice on Friday and spoke with media afterward.
When Granato needed to miss games during the 2020-21 season due to coronavirus pandemic protocols, general manager Kevyn Adams filled in behind the bench, and Appert ran practices. The following season, assistant coach Matt Ellis filled in for Granato under similar circumstances.