Steelers sign Clouthier

[Shorty]

Brett Clouthier from Birmingham Senators in the AHL.

Their new enforcer!

stats courtesty of hockeydb.com

Brett Clouthier
Left Wing
Born Jun 9 1981 -- Ottawa, ONT
Height 6.05 -- Weight 225 -- Shoots L


Selected by New Jersey Devils round 2 #50 overall 1999 NHL Entry Draft

--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998-99 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 64 8 14 22 227 5 1 1 2 4
1999-00 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 65 13 26 39 266 5 2 0 2 17
2000-01 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 68 28 29 57 165 4 1 0 1 10
2001-02 Albany River Rats AHL 62 4 0 4 109 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Albany River Rats AHL 74 6 7 13 220 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Adirondack IceHawks UHL 2 1 0 1 0 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Albany River Rats AHL 39 1 0 1 122 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 12 3 3 6 14 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Albany River Rats AHL 46 0 4 4 168 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Augusta Lynx ECHL 11 1 1 2 14 -- -- -- -- --
2005-06 Binghamton Senators AHL 79 2 4 6 202 -- -- -- -- --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[lockerbie]

I can be abit nieve when it comes to stats ( I am female) but 79 games played with 2 goals for a winger does not seem that good to me. Am I wrong?

[kent brockman]

He looks like a meathead who will be spending a lot of time in the penalty box.
www.rinkratmag.com/cuddler.html

[Rich]

Knew about this a while ago but hes what steelers need to protect the likes of Maltby and Tessier

[Steelersmith]

lockerbie said:

I can be abit nieve when it comes to stats ( I am female) but 79 games played with 2 goals for a winger does not seem that good to me. Am I wrong?

yes you may say that but this guy may have been playing an enforcer roll with teams but with steelers he will have a totally different roll more a power forward where he will have to chip in points because Matsos wouldnt sign someone who wasnt skillful. You just wait and see I think this guy could take the league by storm in more ways that one.

[craigfx2o]

For those who are interested I've just done a comparison between him and a couple of other EIHL enforcers to see how they match up in terms of AHL experience.

Brad Voth. 26 yrs old. 30 AHL games

Graham Belak. 25 yrs old. 155 AHL games.

Brett Clouthier. 25 yrs old. 254 AHL games.

It would seem that Clouthier doesn't have the greatest points tally but in terms of AHL experience he has the most big league experience of any enforcer in this country. I should imagine that to play at that level there has to be a fairly high level of skill and skating ability otherwise he'd have been replaced long ago. Matsos says on the Steelers website that he wants him to log some good ice time and get back to his point scoring days where in three seasons he played 197 games scoring 118 points.


When you consider someone like Cornish (0 games AHL) can do a job in this country and win the playoffs there is an arguement that Clouthier can atleast match that.

[Steelersmith]

Just a quote from the press release:

the big upside with Brett is though that he can play as well, in his final year of Junior he has 28 goals. I want him to play, contribute, be a part of the team, and of course if the bell rings then sort out ay trouble

[KIGOIUK]

He also has stated thet he understands that Nottingham are sheffields rivals and that when we meet he calls it FIGHT NIGHT .

I call it Entertainment , looks like Simsy is stirring it up , I can see this guy in the box for most games , so is he a real asset ?

[craigfx2o]

There's not a chance he'll be in the box more than Payette, Belak, Voth, Shmyr etc.

It was only last week people on here were calling for Tessier's head so it's a good job we've signed someone to make sure it stays on his shoulders.

[ted]

smitherssteel said:

I think this guy could take the league by storm in more ways that one.

I only see him taking it one.... a fighting role... and a tough one at that. And hes still not the 'toughest' Ndur still looks bloody hard.

Despite all the experience... he is not a goal scorer and no matter what he did in his early years.... hes not put up any decent numbers in recent years. I hardly think hes gonna be a top scorer come the end of the season, or even mid table.

No matter that the up the M1 say Id be disappointed if that was the 'massive' news Simmsey had been hyping them up for. Hes just gonna play a similar role to Shmyr... protector/enforcer.

Also (sorry genuine question) why is the 'no chance' he will be in the box as much as the others you mention Craig?
Hes got no more or less PIMs than any of them on average really and both him and Shmyr are totally new to the league.

[jaycourtney]

very true TeddyC

[dirtyden]

Was'nt it Thompson who said the same thing about G.Belak, we want him to play good hockey as well as enforce.You can lead a horse to water.

[craigfx2o]

I said he wont be in MORE than the rest. Why would he be in more than Shmyr or Payette?

[ted]

He might not be... thats my point....

The only one we know is Payette. We know how much hes in the box but then he might find it easier to adjust to EIHL having been here 3 years? next year. Yes hes big (a bit smaller than Shmyr though ) but cant hit a barn door.
Ideal protection for someone like Tess would be someone like Maxwell or Payette who can both play pretty well as well as 'enforce'.

Of course... I might be wrong. His AHL experience might make him a brilliant goal scorer and will be ideal line mate for Tess.... but on THOSE stats.... even Simms himself couldnt convince the most gulliable of people. Waste of a first line spot. (if he is first line)

As pointed out by Den... same was said of G Belak. Look at him

Im not denying he looks tough... but I question if he is exactly what you gys need. Theres 2 signings to make though I suppose so see what they bring. But unlike what has been touted.... Clouthier is hardly 'signing of the league' material.

[craigfx2o]

Time will tell.

The signing was built up in the way it was because the management know that players like this get more media coverge and fan excitement than signing like Maltby purely for the excitement factor. He wont win us many games but he'll definately get the fans in much like Vial did.

[ted]

Ahhh I'm glad at least Panthers have dropped the 'spin' this season

I know what you mean though... I suppose Steelers are in pretty bad need of a boost of attendance.

Like you say though... Time will tell.... as it will with Simoes, Shmyr, Stevens, Rees etc, etc etc.

[lockerbie]

craigfx2o said:

Time will tell.

The signing was built up in the way it was because the management know that players like this get more media coverge and fan excitement than signing like Maltby purely for the excitement factor. He wont win us many games but he'll definately get the fans in much like Vial did.

You hope! Not all fans are only interested in fighting, some actually prefer to watch a bit of skill. I personally find games boring when they are constantly stopping and starting.

[NevesMetro]

A good signing for them because it's what they needed. Most teams are going to have one or two guys who are there to stand up for their team mates and until today they didn't have one. I can see him getting around the 35-45 points mark which will be up near the top for that kind of Player. BUT..........................IMHO it just depends how much they spent on him that will determine how GOOD a signing it really is.

[Heanor Lair]

Sorry Shuff but I don't think this is a good signing at all.

With his PIMS and Darbys PIMS it could be liability time.

If he is going to 'protct' Tessier and Maltby he certainly ain't going to do if from the penalty box.

One enforcer per team for sure, but with Shuff, Newcastle, and to some extent Coventry going for 2 enforcers - I'm not sure its a good move.

Regards

HL

[keefe a.k.a Donk]

It may just be my slow mind this morning, but arnt the new zero tollerance policies put in place to reduce fighting and what not, thus diminishing the need for so many tough guys... but there seems to be more in the league now than ever... EIHL history anyway. I for one, like to see the odd scrap, but watch hockey for the fast, free flowing, skilled hockey and all these big guys seems to be indicating the opposite.

As for Clouthier... not a point scoring forward i would be extactic about. Tess maybe awsome, but he cant do it on his own, and if his support is too busy gooning it up and not feeding tess, i cant see the Steelers being loaded with goals this season. His goals scored are low, but more worrying for me is his lack of assists as well.... look at people like Voth, an enforcer that hasnt scored that many goals, but has the assists..... time will tell.

Got to agree on Ndur.... that guy is bloody scary... i can hear the nicknames flowing already

[orangemoderator]

I believe the zero tolerance relates to things like obstruction and hooking , not fighting.

[Heanor Lair]

orangemoderator said:

I believe the zero tolerance relates to things like obstruction and hooking , not fighting.

If a player is thrown out for fighting, is it not an automatic 1 game ban. thats what I understood it?

[Shaggy]

orangemoderator said:

I believe the zero tolerance relates to things like obstruction and hooking , not fighting.

Well that's a bit dim, isn't it? Zero tolerance should be just that - zero tolerance, yes? Right across the board... They keep talking about doing it the same was as the NHL - if true, that means fighting as well.

Opinions on this guy seem to be divided between the "he'll be awesome!" stuff (mainly from Steelers fans - surprise, surprise) and the "waste of space" stuff (mainly from non-Steelers fans - again, no surprise).

Personally, I think it's more likely to be somewhere in the middle. His AHL stats are dire, there's no two ways about it - say what you like, they are as poor as you like. However - that's a level above us... looks like he could be a 10-15 goal scorer perhaps, if he gives it some welly? Remember Craighead? - his AHL stats weren't brilliant (far better than Clouthier's, however) but he took the league by storm his first year (then got lazy). I don't think this bod has anything like that kind of potential in the EIHL, but he'll surely clock up more than in the AHL.
I do think some people are reaching a bit, however, if they think that decent numbers in junior hockey 6 years ago are much of an indication of his scoring talent...

The "fight night" comment? - yawn, blah blah, yadda yadda yadda...

That interview is scary though.... I know hockey players can often be a little 'odd', but.... is this guy playing with a full deck?

[craigfx2o]

Shaggy I agree with everything you say except the part regarding zero tolerance and fighting.

In my opinion games will run smoother and be higher scoring if the top players are allowed to play the game as it was intended. Zero tolerance as I understand it will reduce the amount of clutch and grad style hockey that was on the increase in the EIHL. If you try and reduce/remove the fighting aspect of the game you are reducing a key aspect of the game for alot of fans including myself. No one turns up to see players get gragged to the ice, hooked and slashed all night but alot of people like a good old ruck. I cant imagine anything better than a close high scoring game between two teams with a couple of fights thrown in.

For me the fighting rules need to be strict, ie 5 min major for first fight then 5 + game for second if the same two players fight each other again. BUT if we go down the route of a game penalty every time the gloves come off we're going to lose a hell of a lot of passion and excitement.

[Doughnut]

brockman said:

He looks like a meathead who will be spending a lot of time in the penalty box.
www.rinkratmag.com/cuddler.html

This guy's a nutter!

have you ever attacked an asst. coach?

Uh, no. I have never attacked an asst. coach.

I bet Ricci was pleased to see that 'cos by the sounds of things this guy will attack anything from a pro boxer to a coffee grinder that looked at him the wrong way once!