Tony Granato named U.S. men’s hockey Olympic team head coach

2017 has been a big year for Wisconsin men’s hockey coach Tony Granato.

After a second-place Big Ten finish and graduating with his bachelor’s degree from UW, Granato received a huge honor on Friday when he was named head coach of the 2018 U.S. Men’s Olympic team.

Granato, a 2014 Olympic team assistant coach under Dan Bylsma, will have a unique challenge this year as the NHL has decided not to allow its players to participate in the games. Rosters will consist of minor-league professionals, college players, and others not under NHL contract.

Roster selection will begin in the fall after the Deutschland Cup in Germany. Granato will be assisted by Keith Allain, Ron Rolston, Scott Young, and former Badger Chris Chelios.

The Pyeongchang games will run from Feb. 9–25, 2018, overlapping with the last two weekends of the Big Ten schedule. Granato will likely miss at least four games, including a home series with Minnesota from Feb. 9–10 and a road series at Ohio State from Feb. 23–24.