Dan Cloutier's Career Stats

Dan Cloutier Career Bio

NHL Career:

Cloutier was the first round (26th overall) draft pick of the New York Rangers in the 1994 NHL entry draft. 

Dan Cloutier finally broke into the league 3 years after being drafted. In the 1997-98 season, Cloutier appeared in 12 games for the New York Rangers. His life-long dream of playing in the NHL was realized on Jan 3, 1998, when he played his first game against Washington.  

First game, first win.  

Cloutier had a 3 game winning streak in his first NHL games from January 3-12.  The next season, he appeared in just 22 games, playing back-up to Mike Richter. Cloutier went 6-8-3, allowing 2 or less goals against in 15 of the 22.

On June 26, 1999, Dan Cloutier was traded from the Rangers along with Niklas Sundstrom and draft picks to the Tampa Bay lightning in exchange for draft choices.  This move was exactly what Cloutier needed.  It gave him the opportunity to step up into a number one position.  He made his Lightning debut on October 9, 1999, making 31 saves in a 1-0 loss at New Jersey.  In his first season with Tampa, Cloutier led the team in games played (52), minutes (2492), GAA (3.49) and wins (9). However, he also was handed a 4 game suspension from January 15-22 for an incident against the New York Islanders on January 13.  In a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 3, Cloutier led the team in penalty minutes, collecting 27 with a minor, major, misconduct, and game misconduct.  Incidents like these throughout his career have given Cloutier a reputation for being somewhat of a hothead.

In his second season with the Lightning, Cloutier earned his first career shutout on December 2 against Detroit. Four months later, it became evident that things were not working out in Tampa and, on February 7, 2001, Cloutier was dealt to Vancouver for Adrian Aucoin and a 2nd round draft pick.

Dan Cloutier became the first goalie in Vancouver Canucks history to wear the number 39.  He played in 16 games for the Canucks in the remainder of the 2000-01 season, going 4-6-5 with a 2.43 GAA.  Cloutier also played in his first 2 career playoff games that season in what can only be called a learning experience.  In the games, which were against the Colorado Avalanche, he went 0-2 with an ugly 4.62 GAA.  The next season Cloutier appeared in 62 games with the Canucks, posting a 31-22-5 record, 2.43 GAA and 7 shutouts.  Once again, the Canucks made it to the playoffs where they would be facing the Detroit Red Wings.  The Canucks jumped out take a 2-0 series lead, surprising everybody.  It seemed as though they might be able to defeat this all-star team.  The sleeping monster was abruptly brought to life after Cloutier let a Niklas Lidstrom shot from center ice sneak behind him.  The cookie crumbled for the Canucks and the Red Wings came back to win the game and the series.  From that moment on, Cloutier has been forced to answer to his relentless critics time and again.  Yet, all this just seemed to make Cloutier work even harder.  In the 2002-2003 season, Cloutier came back to play in 57 games, posting an impressive 33-16-7.  He was solid between the pipes for the Canucks that season, helping backstop them to their third consecutive playoff appearance.  Cloutier played 14 games in the post-season going 7-7 with a 3.24 GAA.  Vancouver was able to defeat the St Louis Blues in a tough 7 game series, before dropping to the Minnesota Wild.  Despite having a 3-0 lead in the series, the Canucks couldn’t get that last win, losing 4 straight to end their playoff race.  Dan Cloutier is still currently playing with the Vancouver Canucks as their starting goalie.  So far, in the 2003-04 season, he has played in 28 games, with a 15-10-3 record, .919 save percentage, 2.22 GAA and 2 shutouts.  Cloutier was one of 12 starting goalies in the NHL last year to hail from Quebec.
 
Pre-NHL:  In 1993, Cloutier was a member of the Memorial Cup winning Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.  Two years later at the 1995 World Junior Championships he won the gold medal with Team Canada.  Just a year later Cloutier was named to the Ontario Hockey League Second All-Star Team.  In his first professional season (96/97), Cloutier played in 60 games for Binghamton of the AHL.  Over the course of the season, he racked up 1652 saves (which was 3rd in the AHL), 3367 minutes (4th in AHL) and 2 shutouts - the first of his professional career.  Impressively, the shutouts came in back-to-back games on December 20 and 21 of 1996.  Cloutier was named the Player of the Week.
 
PERSONAL:  Dan Cloutier was born April 22, 1976 in Mont Laurier, PQ, Canada.  When he was eight years old, he moved to Sault Ste. Marie.  As a youngster, like most other kids growing up in Montreal, he was a fan of the Montreal Canadiens.  Not surprisingly, Cloutier lists Patrick Roy as his childhood idol.  His most memorable hockey moments are winning the 1993 Memorial Cup with Sault Ste. Marie, winning gold at the 1995 World Jr. Championships with Team Canada, and playing in Wayne Gretzky’s last NHL game in April of 1999.  Cloutier’s brother, Sylvain, also plays hockey and is in the New Jersey Devils system.  Cloutier likes to spend his summers with his fiancée, Nikki, in the Yaletown district of Vancouver.  His favorite movie is Braveheart and he went to high school at Notre-Dame-des-Grands-Lacs.  Another interesting fact is that while playing for the Rangers, Dan Cloutier made a guest appearance in an episode of Spin City, along with Pat LaFontaine and Adam Graves. It aired in 1998.