Senators name Paul MacLean new coach

The Ottawa Senators named their fifth head coach in four seasons on Tuesday with the hiring of Detroit Red Wings assistant Paul MacLean during a news conference at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

MacLean replaces Cory Clouston, who was fired in April after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. In Ottawa, MacLean will be working hand-in-hand with General Manager Bryan Murray, his old boss in Anaheim. Murray recently received a three-year contract extension.

"Paul brings a weath of experience as both a coach and teacher of the game," said Murray. "He has been a winner during his coaching career and comes to Ottawa from an organization that has a history of both success on the ice and in developing players. He is a competitive person and we expect that our teams will display that same trait night-in and night-out."

"Paul represents a big part of the change we needed to bring to our hockey club," added Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. "The fact is we are a very different looking hockey team compared to a year ago. Bryan and I agreed it was important for him to bring in someone who is a solid communicator, can easily build a strong rapport with our players and has a proven track record of winning NHL games and Stanley Cups. Paul represents all of this, and I'm pleased to welcome him to Ottawa and the Senators organization."

MacLean spent 11 seasons in the NHL, playing in 719 games for the Winnipeg Jets, Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues from 1980-91. The forward, who played seven seasons in Winnipeg, finished his career with 324 goals and 349 assists. He was an assistant coach with Phoenix and Anaheim and a scout for the Blues.

MacLean, 53, had spent the past six seasons as an assistant in Detroit under Mike Babcock, helping the organization raise a Stanley Cup in 2008. Prior to becoming an assistant in the NHL, MacLean spent six seasons in the International Hockey League as head coach of the Peoria Rivermen and Kansas City Blades. He also led the United Hockey League's Quad City Mallards to a championship in 2000-01.

Detroit has now lost two assistants in less than a month -- Brad McCrimmon left last month to take over the head coaching duties of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL.

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