NHL Coach
He joined the professional team coaching ranks in 2007, when he joined the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL). Clouston was elevated to the head coaching position with the Ottawa Senators on February 2, 2009, following the firing of Craig Hartsburg. Though initially named interim head coach in Ottawa, Clouston's early success was rewarded and the club signed him to a two-year contract extension on April 8, 2009. He was the eighth person to hold the head coach position in modern Senators' history.
With Ottawa, Clouston had attempted to change the Senators' game plan to be more of an attacking one, creating turnovers and generating offense as opposed to the defence-first system which Hartsburg had attempted to utilize. Clouston coached the Senators to a somewhat successful 2009-10 season, finishing with 44 wins and 94 points and a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team ultimately lost in the first round to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A disappointing 2010-11 season saw Ottawa, beset by injuries to key players Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza and erratic goaltending, languish in last place of the Eastern Conference standings for several weeks. General Manager Bryan Murray (ice hockey) made a flurry of midseason trades and promoted many minor leaguers for tryouts. The Senators played better as the season wound down, but finished out of the playoffs. Clouston was relieved of his duties by GM Bryan Murray on April 9, 2011.
On June 14, 2011, the Senators announced former Detroit Red Wings assistant coach Paul MacLean as Clouston's successor.
Read more about this topic: Cory Clouston
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