The eight-time champion of Cologne’s sharks, Cory Clouston, has retired after the sporting downhill race. The Rhinelanders had suffered three defeats in the last four games in the DEL and conceded a total of 13 goals against Augsburg Panthers (4:7) and Red Bull Munich (2:6) at the weekend.
“After lengthy discussions last night and a comprehensive analysis of the sporting situation, we have decided to act to give the team a new impetus,”said sports director Mark Mahon on Monday morning.
He went on to say:”We believed until the end that Cory Clouston could lead the Cologne sharks back on the road to success. This was also the result of many conversations with the players during the international break. Unfortunately, however, there has been no positive development. The team is currently at a low point and must regain balance and consistency as quickly as possible.”
The 48-year-old Canadian has been with the sharks since January 2016, but has never been able to live up to his high expectations. In January 2017, the contract with Clouston, once head coach of the Ottawa Senators in the NHL, was extended until 2019.
As early as Sunday after the twelfth round of the season, the signs were pointing to separation, the club with one of the highest DEL budgets is only ninth in the standings with only five points ahead of the penultimate Krefeld Penguin. On Wednesday in the away game at Iserlohn Roosters, co-trainers Greg Thomson (54) and Thomas Brandl (48) will be standing behind the gang.
Canadian coach Larry Huras (62), who worked for the ERC Ingolstadt (2014/15) in the DEL, is the new coach.