NHL-Struggling Senators appoint MacLean as head coach

* Becomes ninth Senators coach since 1992-93 season

* Won Stanley Cup in 2008 as assistant with Detroit
(Adds quotes, detail)

The Ottawa Senators named Paul
MacLean as their new head coach on Tuesday, hoping the former
Detroit Red Wings assistant can turn around a slumping team
that missed the NHL playoffs in two of the past three seasons.

MacLean, who spent the last six seasons as an assistant
coach to Mike Babcock with the Red Wings, signed a three-year
agreement with the Senators and becomes the team’s ninth head
coach since they re-joined the NHL in 1992-93.

“He has been a winner during his coaching career and comes
to Ottawa from an organisation that has a history of both
success on the ice and in developing players,” said Senators
general manager Bryan Murray.

“He is a competitive person and we expect that our teams
will display that same trait night-in and night-out.”

MacLean replaces Cory Clouston in Ottawa, who was fired at
the end of the regular season in April after leading the team
to a 32-40-10 record that left the Senators in 13th place in
the 15-team Eastern Conference.

For the 53-year-old MacLean, who won a Stanley Cup in 2008
as an assistant in Detroit, this marks his first head-coaching
job in the NHL.

MacLean spent 11 years in the NHL as a player with Detroit,
Winnipeg, and St. Louis. He registered 673 points in 719 games
before ending his career after the 1990-91 season.

“Paul represents a big part of the change we needed to
bring to our hockey club,” said Senators owner Eugene Melnyk.

“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.”

Source: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/14062011/2/nhl-struggling-senators-appoint-maclean-head-coach.html