After spending five and a half years away from Cranbrook in different coaching gigs, former Kootenay Ice head coach Cory Clouston returned on Tuesday with the Brandon Wheat Kings in tow, squeaking out a 1-0 win at the Rec Plex.

Clouston recent stint with the NHL's Ottawa Senators ended after the franchise let him go at the end of the 2010/11 season, but opportunity knocked in Brandon and he jumped at the chance to get back in the WHL.

He said memories flooded back as he walked into the bowels of the Rec Plex on Monday, turning right at the hallway junction into the visitors dressing room, instead of going left, which leads to the Ice dressing room.

"You look up and see a lot of banners in the rafters; I was fortunate to be a part of some of those teams," said Clouston. "This is an organization that just continues to win, they have a very good team this year [and] it felt a little strange being on the opposite bench."

Specifically, Clouston singles out the very first WHL championship the Ice captured in 1999/00 in his inaugural year as an assistant as one of his fondest memories.

"When we won in Spokane, I think there were about 1,200 or 1,300 fans that drove down," said Clouston. "That's something I'm always going to remember. We sat in that dressing room waiting to start the game after the flood, after the warm-up and you could hear those fans chanting 'Ice!'

"And obviously the Memorial Cup is very special. To me those are the things that I will always remember."

Clouston spent three years as an assistant under Ryan McGill, a term that also included capturing the coveted Memorial Cup in 2001/02 campaign.

After winning the Memorial Cup, McGill graduated the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL and Clouston was elevated to the head coaching position by Ice president and general manager Jeff Chynoweth.

For Chynoweth, the decision was a no-brainer.

"We didn't even consider looking at anyone else, I mean, it was that easy of a choice," Chynoweth said. "The gentleman had paid his dues; he was a career coach. He'd moved all over to get more experience and moved up the ladder and when Ryan moved on to Hartford in the AHL, Cory was the natural choice."

During his five-year tenure as head coach, Clouston crafted a regular season record of 209-114-37, which makes him the winningest coach in Ice franchise history.

Under his guidance, the Ice continued their streak of post-season success every year, and in the 2005 playoffs, the team nearly made it into the WHL championship round, but got beat out in six games by the Kelowna Rockets in the conference final.

Eventually, the pros came knocking and he left for the Binghamton Senators of the AHL in 2007/08 before moving up to the Show, where he coached NHL's Ottawa Senators.

Clouston said his time in Cranbrook with a successful WHL team gave him the experience to thrive at the upper levels of professional hockey.

"Everything prepares you for the next level," said Clouston. "To me, this is the best junior league in the world.

"The organization [Ice] supports each other, works hard for each other, has a philosophy that they don't waver from and to me that's very important that I was able to take to the pros."

The Sens hired him in mid-season, but after two full campaigns-the second one racked with injuries-the franchise failed to make the playoffs with a 32-40-10 record and the club replaced Clouston in the off-season.

The Wheat Kings came calling soon after, and he accepted the head coaching position when owner Kelly McCrimmon resigned after seven years of coaching to focus on general managing duties.

Chynoweth is quick to point out the source of Clouston's success and the legacy he left with the Kootenay Ice over his tenure.

"It was his hard work and dedication, without a doubt, the most loyal employee I've ever had. We have been very fortunate to have some very hard working coaches, but Cory took it to a whole new level. His commitment to excellence is something that very few coaches have."