Be A Player: Rewind | Dan Cloutier
Dan Cloutier talks being drafted by a Stanley Cup Champion team, and how playing goalie for his older brother helped pave the way to his NHL career.
Dan Cloutier
351 NHL GP (NYR, TBL, VAN, LAK)
139 NHL WINS
1995 World Junior Champion (CAN)
The year was 2003, the host was Brett Lindros, and the player was Dan Cloutier.
Originally aired December 17, 2003, Cloutier talks being drafted by a Stanley Cup Champion team in the New York Rangers, and how playing goalie for his older brother helped pave the way to his NHL career.
From Mike Smith to Martin Jones to Juuse Saros, filling in the net for shots at the expense of an older sibling still seems be how today's NHL goalies are getting their start.
Kept seeing interviews with goalies who started playing the position because their older siblings needed someone to shoot on.
— Alex Prewitt (@alex_prewitt) December 8, 2018
Turns out, a lot of younger brothers made the NHL: https://t.co/2eHpFEeXo5
Born in Mont-Laurier, Quebec, Cloutier's NHL career spanned 10 seasons in the big leagues, eventually playing in 351 games while earning 142 wins (15 of them shutouts)
Then and now
After two straight seasons without playoff hockey, Cloutier helped the Canucks to one point of the Northwest Division title and a Stanley Cup playoffs appearance in 2002-03. He earned 33 wins and won the first and only playoff series of his career in eliminating the St. Louis Blues.
Since injuries forced him into retirement in 2010 and his final NHL game coming with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2007-08 season, Cloutier rejoined the Canucks as part of their goalie coaching staff.
After six years in the role while working closely alongside Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko in their development,Cloutier stepped down from that role to begin a new position while citing family reasons.
Cloutier currently serves within the organization as Director of Goaltending.