As part of an attempted comeback in 2009, he first signed a deal to try out with the Detroit Red Wings at the team's training camp, then played briefly with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, before retiring due to chronic injury problems.

After his time with the Kings, Cloutier served as an assistant coach to his older brother, Sylvain, with the Corpus Christi IceRays of the Central Hockey League for one season.

In the 1993 OHL playoffs, Cloutier appeared in an additional four games, winning one and losing two, as part of the Greyhounds' run to the J. Ross Robertson Cup Finals.

Although they lost the league championship to the Peterborough Petes four-games-to-one, the Greyhounds still qualified for the 1993 Memorial Cup as the tournament's host team.

[1] While continuing to recover, he was dealt to the Guelph Storm at the trade deadline on January 10 in exchange for goaltender Andy Adams and two draft picks.

[4] As the Storm finished the season with lowest GAA in the league, Cloutier and backup Brett Thompson were jointly awarded the Dave Pinkney Trophy.

He assumed the starting position in Binghamton as a rookie, posting a 3.55 GAA and .892 save percentage to be named to the AHL All-Rookie Team.

[10] He played 12 games total in 1998–99, backing Richter up for the remainder of the season, recording 4 wins, 5 losses and a tie with a 2.50 GAA and .907 save percentage.

The subsequent goalie fight resulted in Cloutier repeatedly punching Salo in the back of the head before taking it upon himself to stop.

[13] Playing in his first full NHL season, Cloutier appeared in 22 games (6 wins, 8 losses, 3 ties) with a 2.68 GAA and .914 save percentage.

[4] With the departure of Tampa Bay's previous starter, Bill Ranford, to the Detroit Red Wings and Darren Puppa nearing the end of his career, Cloutier assumed the starting position for his new club.

By the trade deadline, Cloutier was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks on February 7, 2001, in exchange for defenceman Adrian Aucoin and a second-round selection in the 2001 draft.

[17] Playing in 16 games with the Canucks to close out the 2000–01 season, Cloutier recorded 4 wins, 6 losses and 5 ties, along with a 2.43 GAA and .894 save percentage.

Playing the first-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the opening round, Cloutier made his first NHL post-season appearance in game one, stopping 23 of 28 shots in a losing effort.

Having surrendered five goals, including the game-winner in the final minute after an ill-advised poke-check attempt, Essensa was given the start over Cloutier for the following two contests.

[21] Entering the 2002 playoffs as the eighth seed for the second consecutive year, the Canucks faced the Presidents' Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings in the opening round.

With Vancouver needing one more win to eliminate the Wild, Cloutier was taken out of Game 5 in favour of rookie Alex Auld after allowing six goals on 21 shots through two periods.

[21][36] Nearly two months into the subsequent season, Cloutier recorded his 100th career NHL win, making 31 saves in a 3–1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on November 27, 2003.

[21] On February 14, 2004, he was fined $1,000 by the league for hitting opposing forward Ronald Petrovický in the face with his blocker during a game against the Atlanta Thrashers.

[36] Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, however, Cloutier spent the season mostly inactive until signing with EC KAC of the Austrian Hockey League on January 20, 2005.

[49] Cloutier moved to the Kings alongside Head Coach Marc Crawford, who was hired by the team shortly after being let go by the Canucks in the 2006 off-season.

[51] After recording 6 wins in 24 games and a 3.98 GAA, Cloutier's hip forced him to end his season, aggravating it on December 23, 2006, in a 7–0 loss to the Nashville Predators.

[52] At the time, the injury was still believed to be minor and Cloutier volunteered to continue playing in lieu of backup Mathieu Garon also being sidelined with a broken finger.

He was assigned to the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, after losing a roster spot to goaltenders Jason LaBarbera and Jonathan Bernier.

Three days later, Cloutier started in goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets; he recorded his first NHL win in over a year, backstopping the Kings to a 3–2 shootout victory.

[66] Cloutier subsequently received several offers to play in Europe until signing a tryout contract with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL in December 2009.

He played 26 minutes before receiving a match penalty for punching Moose player Guillaume Desbiens after the opposing forward collided with him in his crease.

[69] In a later interview, published on the Canucks' website in August 2010, Cloutier declared he was most likely retiring due to chronic injury troubles.

He went undefeated in three games with a 2.67 GAA to help Canada win a gold medal as the host country in Red Deer, Alberta.

[48] In November 2005, following Cloutier's season-ending ACL injury, a rumour began circling in the media that he was being investigated for a hit-and-run accident that killed two people outside a Gastown nightclub.