GLENS FALLS, N.Y. –The Adirondack Thunder, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils and American Hockey League’s Utica Comets, have announced that the club has named Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Sylvain Cloutier, as the fifth Head Coach in team history.
Cloutier, 51, returns to Glens Falls after beginning his professional career with the Adirondack Red Wings in the 1993-94 season. The native of Mont-Laurier, Quebec played 287 games with Adirondack and totaled 148 points (45g-103a) from 1993-98. Cloutier returned to Adirondack in 2003 and played three seasons with the Frostbite in the United Hockey League.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be named Head Coach of the Adirondack Thunder,” said Cloutier. “This organization has a proud tradition and a passionate fan base, and I’m committed to building a team that reflects that same intensity and drive. I can’t wait to get to work and help lead this group toward success on and off the ice.”
During his playing career, Cloutier was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1992 and played in seven NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1998-1999 season. In 565 AHL games with Adirondack, Albany, Houston and Syracuse, Cloutier had 274 points (86g-186a). He also served as a captain and won a Calder Cup with Houston during the 2002-2003 season.
Following his playing career, was inducted into the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 class.
“We are proud to welcome Sylvain Cloutier back to Glens Falls,” said President Jeff Mead. “A respected alumnus of both the Adirondack Red Wings and Frostbite, and a member of the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame, Sylvain’s connection to this community and its hockey heritage makes him a natural fit to lead this team. His passion, experience, and dedication to Adirondack hockey will inspire both our players and our fans.”
Cloutier got behind the bench during the 2008-09 season with the Corpus Christi IceRays in the Central Hockey League before heading overseas to coach the Hull Stingrays in the EIHL from 2009-14. Cloutier returned to Canada to be the head coach and general manager of the Essa Stallions in the CPJHL and led the Stallions to a 106-21-3 record over his three seasons as Head Coach and earned back-to-back CPJHL Championships in 2018 and 2019 while also collecting the 2017-18 regular season championship with a 42-2-0 record. Cloutier returned to Corpus Christi in the 2022-23 season and this past year, he helped lead the IceRays to their best regular season in team history in the North American Hockey League with a 35-19-2-3 record.
