Jacques Cloutier is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams during his career. Cloutier was born on December 3, 1959, in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada, and began his hockey career playing for the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Cloutier was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, but he did not make his NHL debut until the 1980-81 season. He played in just two games for the Sabres that season before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in the offseason.
Cloutier spent the next four seasons with the Blackhawks, serving as a backup goaltender for most of that time. He played in a career-high 31 games during the 1983-84 season, but he was never able to establish himself as a starting goaltender in Chicago.
In 1984, Cloutier was traded to the Quebec Nordiques, where he finally got his chance to be a starting goaltender. He played in 54 games for the Nordiques during the 1984-85 season, posting a 3.87 goals against average (GAA) and a .876 save percentage.
Cloutier remained with the Nordiques for two more seasons before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 1987. He played in just 10 games for the Sabres before being traded again, this time to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Cloutier spent the next two seasons with the Blackhawks, serving as a backup goaltender once again. He played in just 14 games during the 1989-90 season before being traded to the Quebec Nordiques for the second time in his career.
Cloutier played in 31 games for the Nordiques during the 1990-91 season, posting a 3.75 GAA and a .876 save percentage. He played in just six games for the Nordiques during the 1991-92 season before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Cloutier played in just one game for the Lightning before being traded to the St. Louis Blues. He played in just two games for the Blues before being sent down to the Peoria Rivermen of the International Hockey League (IHL).
Cloutier played in the IHL for the next two seasons before retiring from professional hockey in 1994. He finished his NHL career with a record of 77-94-23, a 3.84 GAA, and a .874 save percentage.
After retiring from hockey, Cloutier became a goaltending coach, working with several NHL teams over the years. He has also worked as a scout for the Montreal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers.
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