Granato to coach U.S. men's Olympic hockey

Tony Granato was honored to get a call, offering him a chance to coach the U.S. men's hockey team at the 2018 Olympics, the first without NHL players since 1994.

When the Wisconsin coach heard and read some of the players he may lead in South Korea, he got even more fired up.

"There are a lot of attractive players," Granato said Friday. "Unless you analyzed the pool, you wouldn't know the caliber of guys that are out there that can help us contend for a medal."

USA Hockey named Jim Johannson, who has been a player and in management the previous six Olympics, as general manager of the team that will be without many well-known names outside of hockey circles. Johannson expects at least half of the roster to include players from European professional leagues while the rest of the team is comprised of prospects with minor league contracts with NHL teams and college stars. Hall of Famer and fourtime Olympian Chris Chelios will be an assistant coach along with Yale coach Keith Allain, three-time Olympian director and Pittsburgh Penguins director of player development Scott Young and former Buffalo Sabres coach Ron Rolston.

Granato, a former NHL forward, was an assistant at the 2014 Olympics under Dan Bylsma. He knows USA Hockey could have chosen to give Bylsma or Ron Wilson another chance to coach the Americans.

Johannson said he has talked to 80 to 90 potential players, including one who may retire from the NHL, to let them know they need to be on a list with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.