BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — There's no bib required to protect this shirt.
Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato is embracing his “Donny Meatballs” nickname by having it splashed on a T-shirt to raise money for the nonprofit organization Mental Health America.
Granato teamed with Buffalo-based Pasteurized Tees to create a Sabres’ blue and gold-colored
First coined by a local blogger, the nickname stuck and became popular on social media.
Upon announcing
“I am excited to embrace this nickname for a good cause and support of our community,” Granato said in a statement. “My hope is to take this fan-created nickname a step further by finding ways to give back.”
The 54-year-old Granato is of Italian heritage and grew up in Illinois as part of a noted hockey family.
His brother Tony played 13 NHL seasons and is currently the head coach at Wisconsin, while his sister Cammi is a two-time Olympian, the first female Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and a scout for the NHL expansion team Seattle Kraken.
Don Granato is a first-time NHL coach who has a reputation for developing players at the minor league levels.
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