A former NYPD detective who responded to the 9/11 attacks and later became a cherished hockey coach for disabled athletes took his own life last week.
Peter Janatiempo, affectionately referred to as “Coach Pete,” dedicated 26 years to the force. Tragically, just days before returning to coach in Connecticut’s Adaptive Hockey League, he had experienced the loss of 19 colleagues to gun violence. He was 61.
Dawn Gianatiempo, his wife, shared that while he loved being a police officer, the weight of the job significantly impacted him after his retirement in 2014.
“Pete witnessed things I can’t even begin to comprehend as a civilian,” she disclosed. “He retired, but the longing for work and the things he’d seen were ever-present.”
On September 11, 2001, she remembers him running toward danger, which led to years of grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I thought everything had ended, but Pete insisted he needed to work,” she recalled. “Then, he vanished for days. It was his calling, and all he did came from a genuine place.”
Gianatiempo was raised in Woodside, Queens, and graduated from Monsignor McClancy High School in 1982, where he also played football. He and Dawn met in 1984, married in 1992, and had two children: Nicole, now 30, and Peter, 26.
Residing in Cortland Manor, Westchester, Janatiempo spent his retirement focused on coaching the New York Junior Rangers in both New York and Connecticut.
His passion for coaching ignited when his children started playing sports, and his son’s experiences in therapeutic recreation inspired Janatiempo’s commitment to advocating for adaptive hockey.
“Once I got involved with special needs, Dad wanted to learn everything he could,” Peter Janatiempo relayed. “His goal was to coach adaptive hockey.”
In September 2021, the New York Rangers showcased a video featuring Janatiempo’s work with a girl dealing with anger and personal struggles.
“After a couple of weeks, we learned Daniela had special needs, but we couldn’t lose the opportunity to teach her hockey,” he explained.
In late 2024, Gianatiempo began coaching the Northern Bravehearts and the Danbury Hat Tricks Youth Teams in Connecticut.
“Pete always believed hockey was for everyone, and he was dedicated to making it accessible,” remarked Dominic Alessandro, whose son participates in adaptive hockey.
Alessandro noted their plans to enhance the Bravehearts’ logo and explore growth opportunities for the program.
“There are special hockey tournaments nationwide, and Pete wanted a team that could represent Danbury,” he added, clearly shaken by the loss.
The news of his passing deeply affected the hockey community.
“It’s heartbreaking to lose such a remarkable person,” former NHL goalie Stephen Baliquette posted. “Pete was one of us—a brother. He dedicated so much to the game and his community. Rest in peace, Pete. You will always be with us.”
Ron Rogel, a member of the New York Rangers sled hockey team, remembered Janatiempo’s humor and his fondness for cologne.
“If he hadn’t jokingly called you out, it meant he liked you,” Rogel recalled. “I knew right away we’d become friends—and we did.”
Plans for memorials and a charity hockey game in his honor are underway.
The Danbury Hat Tricks Minor Professional Team announced an upcoming event honoring Gianatiempo on November 12th.
On Saturday, Danbury Arena held a ceremony that included a moment of silence and showcased his well-known skills in a display match.
His funeral is set for Tuesday in Westchester.
Before his death, Janatiempo was eagerly anticipating his daughter’s wedding in October and began a new security job in June at a Nyack warehouse, which his wife noted he truly enjoyed.
“He was back to himself—engaging with people and asking questions,” she said. “It was the closest thing he had to his former police job.”
Meanwhile, Alessandro expressed his struggle to explain Pete’s absence to his son, who has Down syndrome.
“I’m literally going to have to tell him Pete has moved away—there’s no easy way to say he’s gone,” he shared.
