The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that veteran National Hockey League coach and player Paul MacLean has joined the club as an assistant coach/special teams on Head Coach John Tortorella's staff. He will formally join the club as soon as immigration procedures are completed.

MacLean, 61, served three-plus seasons as the head coach of the Ottawa Senators from 2011-14, compiling a 114-90-35 record and leading the club to a pair of appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL Coach of the Year in 2012-13 and was also a finalist for the award in 2011-12. He also spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes (1996-97), Anaheim Ducks (2002-04, 2015-17) and Detroit Red Wings (2005-11). During that span, he was a part of teams that qualified for the playoffs 10 times, made three appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals (Anaheim-2003; Detroit-2008, 2009) and won a Stanley Cup (Detroit-2008).

"I've always said that we look at every opportunity to make our team better and adding a veteran coach with a winning pedigree like Paul MacLean to a staff that has led us to three-straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs does just that," said Blue Jackets General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen.

"Paul was an excellent player in the National Hockey League for many years and has been a respected and successful coach, both as a head coach and as an assistant, for a very long time," added Tortorella. "I think he will be a great addition to our staff and our players will benefit from his experience and knowledge."

MacLean was born in Grostenquin, France and raised in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. A seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, he appeared in 719 career NHL games with the Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Red Wings between 1980-91. He registered 324 goals and 349 assists for 673 points with 968 penalty minutes with three 40-goal and five 30-goal seasons. He tallied a career-high 41-60-101 with 119 penalty minutes in 79 games with the Jets in 1984-85 and played in All-Star Game that season. He also collected 21-14-35 and 110 penalty minutes in 53 career playoff games.

After retiring as a player in 1991, he began his coaching career as the head coach of the International Hockey League's Peoria Rivermen from 1993-96. He also served as head coach of the IHL's Kansas City Blades from 1997-2000 and United Hockey League's Quad City Mallards from 2000-02.