EXCLUSIVE: Tony Granato on USA's Olympic Hopes, His Rangers Rookie Year & Hockey's Mental Health Crisis

Former New York Ranger, four-time 30-goal scorer, and U.S. Olympic player and coach Tony Granato joins Rink Rap for an in-depth conversation recorded during the Milan Olympics.

Tony breaks down the dramatic overtime quarterfinals, why he believes Team USA has the edge over Canada heading into the gold medal game, and what it was like coaching the 2018 Olympic squad with no NHL players. He also revisits his electric rookie season with the Rangers, the Calder Trophy debate with Brian Leetch, and what it felt like being part of the blockbuster trade that sent him to L.A. — where he got to skate alongside Gretzky.

Tony also opens up about his cancer battle, his work with The Ranch — a Minnesota-based mental health and recovery facility for the hockey community founded in honor of Mark Pavelich — and why he believes no one, not even a professional athlete, is immune from life's hardest moments.

This one covers a lot of ground. Don't miss it.

🏒 Topics covered:

• 2026 Milan Olympics hockey quarterfinal breakdown
• USA vs. Canada gold medal preview
• Three-on-three overtime in Olympic play: Tony's honest take
• Coaching Team USA at the 2018 Olympics without NHL players
• Tony's Rangers rookie year and the Calder Trophy race with Brian Leetch
• The Bernie Nichols trade — what it felt like from the inside
• Playing with Gretzky in L.A. and nearly winning the Cup in '93
• His sister Cammi Granato and the growth of women's hockey
• Tony's cancer survivorship and the Masterton Trophy
• The Ranch: mental health and recovery support for the hockey community

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Chapters:

0:00 – Welcome & intro: Tony Granato's resume

0:33 – Olympic quarterfinals reaction: USA & Canada advance

3:00 – Three-on-three OT in the Olympics: Tony's honest take

4:00 – Sweden, Finland, Slovakia — don't sleep on the field

6:40 – USA vs. Canada gold medal game prediction

8:05 – Tony's experience as a 1988 Olympian vs. coaching in 2018

11:05 – Coaching the no-NHL-players 2018 U.S. team

13:20 – USA-Canada women's rivalry: the greatest in sports?

15:30 – What separates Team USA women heading into the gold medal game

16:20 – Mark Johnson and the growth of college women's hockey

19:00 – Rangers fan question: Should Tony have won the Calder Trophy over Leetch?

21:00 – Tony's Rangers rookie record and what college prepared him for

24:55 – The Bernie Nichols trade: how Tony found out and what he felt

26:40 – Playing with Gretzky in L.A. and nearly winning the Cup

28:38 – Cancer survivorship and the Masterton Trophy

29:30 – The Ranch: mental health & recovery for the hockey community

33:00 – Mark Pavelich's legacy and why The Ranch exists

35:00 – Final thoughts on the Rangers' season ahead

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