Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Senators officially name Red Wings assistant Paul MacLean new head coach

Joel Quenneville, Paul MacLean

Detroit Red wings head coach Mike Babcock, center right, talks with assistant coach Paul MacLean during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Detroit, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

AP

As we discussed yesterday, the Ottawa Senators will indeed make Paul MacLean (and his astounding mustache) their new head coach. They announced as much in a press conference today, making strong rumors official.

This move ranks as the latest step in the period of half-change the Senators are going through. On one hand, they’ve retained GM Bryan Murray and stalwarts such as defensive defenseman Chris Phillips. That being said, they’ve flushed out some familiar faces, including the firing of former head coach Cory Clouston and some trades, most notably sending Mike Fisher to the Nashville Predators.

The biggest changes will be behind the bench and in net, though. MacLean brings lengthy experience working under Mike Babcock in Anaheim and Detroit but perhaps most importantly is familiar with Murray from their days with Ducks as well. Much of his successes or failures will be pinned on the work of Craig Anderson, a promising goalie who received what seems like an excessive contract considering his limited track record as a No. 1 netminder.

Let’s take a look at a few of the Senators’ comments about hiring their new coach.

“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.”


Here is a little more background regarding MacLean from yesterday’s post.

MacLean spent two seasons (2002-03 and 03-04) as Babcock’s assistant in Anaheim before working with him for six more seasons in Detroit. His only head coaching experience comes in the IHL and UHL, where he most recently won a UHL championship with the Quad City Mallards in 2000-01. Before entering coaching, MacLean had a lengthy NHL career highlighted by a 101 point season with the Winnipeg Jets in 1984-85.

He was originally born in France, although he reportedly moved to Canada when he was two years old. While Senators fans hope that MacLean can bring some of that Red Wings competence to what has been an unruly Ottawa franchise, they can delight in his wonderful mustache even in the darkest of times.