Sabres coach ‘Donny Meatballs’ promotes T-shirt for charity

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 T-shirt design, which went on sale this week to coincide with the start of training camp. The design features a plate of spaghetti topped with five meatballs, a nod to the playful nickname Granato got after taking over as interim coach following Ralph Krueger’s dismissal in March.

First coined by a local blogger, the nickname stuck and became popular on social media.

Upon announcing Granato’s hiring on a full-time basis in June, the Sabres released a video showing a plate of meatballs on a table along with a nameplate displaying Granato’s title being changed from interim to head coach.

“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.

Panorama Hispano is the regional news and information newspaper for Hispanic and other diverse communities.

US Hispanics are now the largest ethnic minority in the United States numbering 54.2 million as of July 2014. Serving: Buffalo, Rochester, Fredonia, Niagara Falls, NY and Erie, PA. Outside our Market area: Visit our affiliate at: http://www.impremedia.com/

Contact us: Contact@PanoramaHispanoNews.com

Featured News

Jun 18, 2026
Obama Center opens in Chicago with a call to defend democracy and a celebrity crowd

BY SCOTT BAUER AP Updated 4:48 PM EDT, June 18, 2026 Former President Barack Obama formally opened his presidential center […]

Read More
Jun 16, 2026
New York giving homeowners over $2B in tax relief checks

Governor Kathy Hochul announced over $2 billion in tax relief for nearly 3 million NY homeowners via the STAR program. […]

Read More
Jun 16, 2026
Knicks’ NBA title-clinching victory over Spurs averages 24.5 million viewers

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks’ 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday […]

Read More

popular categories

Featured (5,524)
Mundo Latino (2,119)
Locales / Regional (1,277)
Buffalo (2,150)
Dunkirk (1,700)
Rochester (1,666)
PA (1,255)
Negocios / Tecnología (1,092)
Tecnología y Science (220)
Salud (571)
Deportes (962)
Entretenimiento (815)
Extras (456)
Movies (232)
Viajes, Vida y Estilo (727)
Copyright © 2026 Panorama Hispano News. All Rights Reserved.
crossmenuchevron-downmenu-circlecross-circle
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram