Tony Granato, a longtime NHL player and coach who began his playing career with the Rangers, announced Sunday he has been diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and he is temporarily stepping away from his roles as an analyst with NBC Sports Chicago and NHL Network.
Granato, 59, said he’s beginning treatment this week.
“My family, faith and friends will be my strength to help me through my treatments,” Granato wrote in a post on X. “I appreciate all the love and support I have received already.
“With the holiday season here, cherish the times with your loved ones, as I know I will.”
Granato, a U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer and the older brother of Hall of Famer Cammi Granato, was most recently the head coach at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, for seven seasons; he was fired in March.
A native of Downers Grove, Ill., outside of Chicago, Granato was selected by the Rangers in the sixth round of the 1982 NHL Draft and debuted for the Blueshirts in 1988.
He scored 36 goals during his rookie season, which is still the franchise rookie record.
Granato was traded during his second season with the Rangers to the Kings, going to Los Angeles along with Tomas Sandstrom for Bernie Nicholls.
Granato stayed with the Kings through the 1995-96 season, recording three 30-goal seasons.
On Jan. 25, 1996, Granato was hurt on a collision with the Hartford Whalers’ Jeff Brown and required surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain.
He managed to continue his career with the Sharks the following season, spending five years with San Jose before retiring.
Granato began his coaching career as an assistant with the Avalance in 2002, taking over as the head coach that December.
He flip-flopped between the head and assistant roles for Colorado through the 2008-09 season before spending five years as an assistant with the Penguins and two as an assistant with the Red Wings.
Granato also coached the U.S. Olympic team at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, where the U.S. finished seventh.