Dan Cloutier is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over a decade. He was born on April 22, 1976, in Mont-Laurier, Quebec, Canada. Cloutier began his hockey career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Verdun Collège Français in 1993. He was drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, 26th overall.
Cloutier made his NHL debut with the Rangers in the 1997-98 season, playing in 13 games. He was then traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1998, where he played for two seasons. In 2000, Cloutier was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, where he spent the majority of his NHL career. He played for the Canucks for six seasons, from 2000 to 2006, and was the team's starting goaltender for much of that time.
During his time with the Canucks, Cloutier had some of his best seasons. In the 2001-02 season, he set a franchise record with 33 wins and helped lead the team to the second round of the playoffs. He also had a career-high .914 save percentage that season. In the 2002-03 season, Cloutier was named to the NHL All-Star Game for the first and only time in his career.
However, Cloutier's time with the Canucks was also marked by some controversial moments. In the 2002 playoffs, he was criticized for allowing a weak goal in overtime of Game 7 against the Detroit Red Wings, which ended the Canucks' season. In the 2004 playoffs, Cloutier was involved in a brawl with the Calgary Flames, which resulted in him being suspended for the remainder of the series.
After leaving the Canucks in 2006, Cloutier played for the Los Angeles Kings for two seasons. He then played briefly for the Dallas Stars in 2008 before retiring from professional hockey.
Overall, Cloutier played in 351 NHL games over his career, with a record of 139-142-33. He had a career save percentage of .899 and a goals against average of 2.77. Cloutier was known for his aggressive style of play and his willingness to challenge opposing players.
Since retiring from hockey, Cloutier has worked as a goaltending coach for various teams, including the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League and the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League. He has also been involved in charity work, including organizing a charity golf tournament to raise money for the BC Children's Hospital Foundation.
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