Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk and general manager Bryan Murray announced today the signing of Cory Clouston to a two-year contract as the team’s head coach. The contract will run through the 2010-11 season.
Clouston was appointed head coach of the Senators on Feb. 2 after beginning the season as the bench boss of Ottawa’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. In 32 games as Ottawa’s head coach, Clouston has posted a record of 19-10-3 (.641), accumulating 41 points
Clouston, 39, was named head coach of the B-Sens on July 19, 2007. He completed his first professional season with Binghamton in 2007-08 and had a record of 59-48-12-8 in parts of two AHL seasons. Prior to joining the Senators’ organization, Clouston spent five seasons as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice, where he also served as assistant coach from 1999-2000 to 2001-02.
A native of Viking, Alta., Clouston had a career regular-season record of 209 wins, 110 losses, 24 overtime losses and 15 shootout defeats with Kootenay, making him the winningest coach in franchise history. Kootenay made the playoffs in each of his seasons behind the bench, advancing as far as the conference final in 2004-05. Clouston was named both the WHL and Canadian Hockey League coach of the year for the 2004-05 season, notching 47 wins, 15 losses, seven in overtime and another three by shootout, for a 104-point season. Clouston was also named WHL coach of the year in 2006-07.
Clouston served as general manager and head coach of the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League prior to coaching the Ice. During his tenure in Grande Prairie, his team compiled a .627 winning percentage (143-82-15) and he was named AJHL coach of the year in 1995-96. Clouston was also an assistant coach with the Powell River Paper Kings of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League in 1994-95.
In addition to his junior hockey experience, Clouston has participated in Hockey Canada’s national team program, serving as assistant coach for the national under-18 2005 Junior World Cup gold medalists and head coach for the 2006 team that also took home gold.
Clouston is the ninth head coach in Senators history, counting Roger Neilson’s two-game appearance in 2001-02 and Bryan Murray’s 18 games to complete the 2007-08 season.
