Former Aeros coach hired by San Jose

HOUSTON McLellan coached the Aeros for four seasons (2001-2005) and guided the team to the 2003 Calder Cup Championship. He coached in two AHL all-star games during his tenure with the Aeros. McLellan is second on the Aeros' all-time wins list among coaches with 154 victories, trailing Dallas Stars head coach Dave Tippett (165). McLellan has the most playoff wins for a coach in Aeros history with 24. Ron Low is the other former Aeros coach to move on to the NHL.

For the past three seasons, the Melville, Saskatchewan, native has served as Mike Babcock's assistant with the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. This is McLellan's first head coaching position in the NHL.

Current Houston Aeros head coach Kevin Constantine formerly coached the Sharks and was the first head coach to get the Sharks to the postseason. In that first season (1993-94) as head coach, Constantine led the eighth-seeded Sharks to a first-round upset over the top-seeded Red Wings. He is the only coach in NHL history to ever lead a pair of No. 8 seeds over a No. 1 seed, having also led Pittsburgh over New Jersey in 1998-99.

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