The Cincinnati Cyclones have named Louie Caporusso as their new assistant coach, officially moving the long-time fan favorite from the ice to behind the bench. Caporusso, who played 580 professional games over 13 seasons in six different leagues, steps into the role full-time after serving in a coaching/player role last season under then-head coach Jason Payne.
His path to coaching comes after injuries limited him to just two games in his final season with the Cyclones last season. Over his four seasons in Cincinnati, Caporusso finished with 55 goals and 111 assists for 166 points in 171 regular-season games, helping the team to two playoff appearances (2022 & 2023), tallying seven points in 17 postseason games.
Caporusso won an OPJHL title in 2005-06, NCAA (CCHA) championships in 2007-08 and 2009-10, and in 2008-09 was a Hobey Baker Award finalist while earning both NCAA First All-Star and First All-American honors. He added a CCHA regular-season title in the 2010-11 season and an Italy Championship in the 2019-20 season.
Before turning pro, he played four seasons at the University of Michigan, serving as assistant captain his senior season. Drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the third round (90th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft, the highest level he reached was the AHL, where he played a total of 36 games.
His professional career included stops in the AHL, ECHL, DEL, SHL, Italy, and the AlpsHL, with time spent in both Europe and North America.
Even late in his career, when battling injuries, his passion for the game never left. After a win against the Iowa Heartlanders in one of his two final games last season, he told me, “It was fun, it was a ton of fun. You never know when you’ll get a chance to play again, and with where I am in my career, any moment I get to step on the ice is treasured.”
Now, his presence will be felt in a different way here in Cincinnati.
“It’s an honor to accept my role as Assistant Coach with the Cincinnati Cyclones,” Caporusso said. “This city and team have grown dear to our family. I’m grateful to Coach Weselowski and the front office for the opportunity, and I look forward to the season.”
First-year Head Coach Riley Weselowski said the hire fits the culture he wants to build.
“Adding the right people to our hockey operations staff was a top priority for me when I accepted the job in Cincinnati. I was looking for an assistant coach who was young and hungry. A coach with morals and ethics aligned with mine, but whose perspective of the game was different. Louie was an elite offensive player throughout his career, and it was evident in the interview process that he has a great mind for the game. Above all else, Louie is a great person and father. He will be an incredible asset for the Cyclones organization and an excellent resource for our young players breaking into professional hockey.”
He will now get his chance in another way and surely can make an impact with this Cyclones team under new Head Coach Riley Weselowski as the team looks to make the postseason for the first time since 2023.
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