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New York Rangers forgotten players A-Z: The C’s

By Michael DeRosa

OTTAWA, CANADA - DECEMBER 29: Matt Cullen #5 of the New York Rangers carries the puck out of his zone up the far boards during a game against the Ottawa Senators on December 29, 2006 at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Canada. The Senators won 1-0. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, CANADA - DECEMBER 29: Matt Cullen #5 of the New York Rangers carries the puck out of his zone up the far boards during a game against the Ottawa Senators on December 29, 2006 at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Canada. The Senators won 1-0. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images) /
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18 Apr 1998: Goaltender Dan Cloutier of the New York Rangers in action during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Corestates Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Rangers defeated the Flyers 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Craig Melvin /Allsport
18 Apr 1998: Goaltender Dan Cloutier of the New York Rangers in action during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Corestates Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Rangers defeated the Flyers 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Craig Melvin /Allsport /

Dan Cloutier G

Dan Cloutier is certainly remembered most for his time with the Vancouver Canucks. Over five seasons with the team, he had a 109-68-24 record and a .906 SV%. After a career year during the 2003-04 season, the Canucks went on to acquire Roberto Luongo. This naturally made Cloutier expendable and he would be dealt to the Los Angeles Kings early on into the 2005-06 season.

However, Cloutier actually began his career with the Rangers. The team selected him with the final pick of the first round in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Yet, even though he came with high expectations being an early pick, his time with the Rangers was short. He would play 34 games over two seasons, while sporting a 10-13-4 record and .912 SV%.

He would be traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Niklas Sundstrom, a 2000 first-round pick and 2000 third-round for the fourth overall pick of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. The fourth overall pick turned into Pavel Brendl, but he never played a game for the Rangers.

Thus, Cloutier was able to build himself a pretty decent career, even if he fell off at the end. It’s interesting to think how he could have done with the Rangers, had they not traded him.

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