Tony Granato

After being taken 120th overall in the 1982 draft, Tony Granato opted to continue at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, spending four seasons with the Badgers before turning pro. Raised in Downers Grove, Illinois, he developed into a goal scorer at the collegiate level and earned his shot at the NHL.

Granato broke into the NHL in 1988–89 with the New York Rangers and made an immediate offensive impact, finishing his rookie year as the team's leading goal scorer. On January 20, 1990, he was part of a notable trade that sent him and Tomas Sandström to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Bernie Nicholls.

With the Kings he remained a consistent goal threat and played a significant role during the club's run to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. His career also featured setbacks: a 15-game suspension in February 1994 following an on-ice incident, and a serious head injury in January 1996 that required surgery. Granato returned to play as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks, wore a specially padded helmet as a precaution, and received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1997 before retiring after the 2001 season.

Granato moved into coaching with the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant before being elevated to head coach partway through 2002–03, helping the team recover to win the division. He later returned to assistant duties, was named head coach again for 2008–09, and was relieved of his duties in 2009. He then served as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and later joined the Detroit Red Wings' staff.

In March 2016 he took the head-coach job at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, and in August 2017 he was appointed head coach of the United States men's national team for the 2018 Winter Olympics, where the team finished seventh. Granato also works as a television analyst for the NHL and for the Chicago Blackhawks. His sister Cammi Granato captained the U.S. women's national team and is an Olympic champion.