Only Joe Sakic has been around the Avalanche bench longer than Jacques Cloutier. He is the NHL’s ultimate survivor, the Richard Hatch of hockey.
Cloutier has been an Avalanche assistant coach since 1996, when he took over for Jacques Martin when Martin took the head coaching job with the St. Louis Blues.
Cloutier has since survived the departures of four Avs head coaches — Marc Crawford, Bob Hartley, Tony Granato and Joel Quenneville — and one general manager, Pierre Lacroix. He is the NHL’s longest-serving assistant coach for one team.
Ask people around the Avalanche why Cloutier is such an institution, and you get a lot of similar answers.
“He’s the best assistant you could ever have,” said Granato, who perhaps knows Cloutier best, having twice been an assistant with him and his immediate superior twice. “He’s a phenomenal human being, and for a head coach to have an assistant who is that reliable and has that much work ethic and pride in being in this organization, it just makes it that much easier for a head coach.”
Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote has had Cloutier standing behind him much of his NHL career, but he was also once his teammate. In fact, Cloutier relieved Quebec Nordiques starting goalie Ron Tugnutt in Foote’s first career game, with Quebec, on Oct. 19, 1991, a 6-1 loss to Detroit.
“I remember when he was still playing how early he always was to the rink. He was always sitting in there, waiting for his coffee and waiting for somebody to talk to or to listen to them. He always had an ear for people if they wanted to talk,” Foote said. “I think the biggest thing about him is how positive he always is. He comes to the rink, and he’s always happy and brings a smile to everyone’s face.
“He understands that you’re going to have good days and bad days, but he makes you smile and it’s just a good, even balance in the dressing room.”
Other than being a sounding board for players and coaches, Cloutier’s primary duty on the team is to oversee and manage its defense. He calls out defensive pairings during games and manages their ice time.
With a 255-game NHL career from 1981-94 as a goalie on three teams — Buffalo, Chicago and Quebec — Cloutier also lends as much expertise as needed to the Avs goalies.
Cloutier, 48, is quietly outgoing, always quick with a hello to anyone at the rink but not given to loud proclamations.
“I’ve been lucky. I’ve been in pro hockey since 1980, and to be able to stay in the game after being a player is really lucky,” Cloutier said.
After all these years as an assistant, the question begs: What about being a head coach somewhere?
“Sometimes you feel you would love to try it, but other times you think, ‘This is kind of nice.’ For a while, I didn’t want to change anything because my kids were younger and I didn’t want to move them,” Cloutier said.
“Maybe one day, you never know. But I couldn’t be happier doing what I’m doing now.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
BIO
• Played in 255 games in NHL as goalie with Sabres, Blackhawks and Nordiques.
• After 12 years playing in the NHL, began 12th year as an assistant coach this season.
• Selected to Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame and Rochester (AHL) Hall of Fame in 2004.
• Native of Noranda, Quebec
Source: Colorado Avalanche
