With Associate Coach Darryl Sydor on a personal leave of absence, the Kamloops Blazers have named a new full-time interim Assistant Coach.
Cory Clouston, the younger brother of Blazers' Head Coach Shaun Clouston, is set to pick up where Sydor left off. Prior to this job, Cory was an Assistant Coach with the Kootenay Ice where he was part of two WHL Championships and a Memorial Cup win in 2002. He then spent the next five seasons as the Head Coach of the Ice from 2002 to 2007 and was twice named WHL Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007.
Clouston eventually went pro, coaching the Binghampton Senators from 2007 to 2009 and the NHL's Ottawa Senators from 2009 to 2011.
“With Darryl away on a personal leave of absence we decided that it was important to have a coach join us who was available in a full-time role,” said Blazer GM Matt Bardsley. “Cory has a lot of coaching experience in the Western Hockey League and has been part of Championship teams. He has also had experience in the AHL, NHL, and Europe which will be beneficial to our players."
After his pro stints, he returned to the WHL and was the Head Coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings during the 2011-12 season and the Prince Albert Raiders from 2013 to 2015. His last job was in Germany as head coach of the Kolner Hale in the DEL.
Clouston will be on the ice with the team starting today and behind the bench for the Blazers for the first time on Friday.
