CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles, McClelland Part; Stewart To Re-Take Coaching Reins

Published on April 12, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles announced today that they have come to a mutual agreement to part ways with Kevin McClelland as head coach, and that his contract will not be renewed. Taking his place behind the bench will be the team's original head coach -- and current president & general manager -- Chris Stewart.

McClelland spent two seasons as the Eagles' bench boss after three years in the same capacity with the CHL's RiverKings. Colorado made the playoffs in both years under his guidance, advancing to the President's Cup Finals in 2009, before being swept out of the Northern Conference Semifinals this season.

"The number of wins certainly isn't the reason for the mutual decision," said Stewart. "We both agreed that it was time to move on. It's part of the business, and it's part of being a head coach." He continued, "The entire Eagles organization certainly thanks Kevin for his time here, and we wish him all the best."

Stewart coached the Eagles from 2003-04 thru 2007-08, making the playoffs each season as division champions and taking the team to the President's Cup Finals three times -- where they won it all twice (2005 & 2007). His overall playoff record with the Eagles is 42-31.

In five seasons, Stewart coached the team to a regular season record of 213-77-26 (462 points and a .731 winning percentage) -- the league's best in that span -- with the Eagles winning the Governors' Cup as regular season champions two years in a row (2004-05 & 2005-06).

His inaugural team's .711 winning percentage is a CHL record, and he's one of just two coaches in CHL/WPHL history to win the league title with two different teams (he also won with the Huntsville Channel Cats in 1999). Stewart ranks first on the CHL's all-time coaching winning percentage list (.678), and third on the all-time wins list (375), trailing only Doug Sauter (544) and Scott Muscutt (395).

"We've fallen short of our ultimate goal of winning the President's Cup the past few years, and I'm looking forward to making sure that we stay on the right path so that we can achieve that goal," said Stewart. "I believe this organization is the best in minor pro sports, and we have a lot of the pieces in place to continue being successful next season and well into the future. We've set the bar extremely high for ourselves, and we embrace that challenge year in and year out."

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Central Hockey League Stories from April 12, 2010


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