Playing in the GOJHL helped Cloutier reframe the way he approaches hockey.
No one likes to take a step backward. Yet, it happens to almost everyone at one point or another. For Jacob Cloutier, a year spent playing in the GOJHL with the Chatham Maroons may have been what he needed to fuel an impressive start to his rookie campaign in the OHL.
Saginaw selected Cloutier with their second-round pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection.
Until that point, Cloutier had been the top scorer on every roster he had ever played for. During the 2021-22 season, he scored 32 goals and added 28 assists for a total of 60 points in just 26 games playing for Ottawa Jr. 67's U-15 AAA.
The following year he joined Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15U and scored 30 goals and added 51 helpers in just 65 games.
However, Cloutier joined Saginaw as they were gearing up for the Memorial Cup. As a result, he did not see the ice much early in the season. He scored a single goal in the four games before being reassigned to Chatham.
"Last year it was tough and a struggle getting sent down," said Cloutier.
He was a key performer for the Chatham Maroons last year. He played 29 games and scored a total of 31 points during the regular season. In the playoffs, he scored two goals and added four assists in six games.
Now, playing in his rookie year for Saginaw, Cloutier thinks that going to Chatham helped him to change the way he thinks about hockey.
"It definitely changed my mindset," said Cloutier. "Getting drafted in the second round, I don't want to put it this way, but I expected to play ... When I got sent down it was a big change for me. Coming in as a second-year guy I knew I had to work ten times harder."
In seven games this season, Cloutier has three goals and five assists for a total of eight points. He currently ranks second in rookie scoring trailing only Ethan Belchetz.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5lBNugXUUA[/embed]
"They [the points] don't come for free," said Cloutier. They are the result of hard work and having great linemates.
In the offseason, Cloutier returns to Ottawa where he works out and skates with other elite players including Mason MacTavish, Nathan Villeneuve and his brother Justin Cloutier. He says working with them pushes him to be better.
"When I see those guys staying extra late doing half-miles on the bikes and stuff it pushes you and makes you want to get better," said Cloutier. "It's awesome."
As a 2007-born player, Cloutier is eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. In order to be considered by NHL teams, he knows he needs to have a strong rookie season.
"You obviously try not to think about it during the year, it's not the most important thing when you're playing for your team," said Cloutier. "It adds a little pressure to the season, but right now I'm focused on making sure the team comes first and I am playing my role."
While last season didn't go the way he had envisioned, Cloutier reaped the benefits of a slow approach to his first OHL season. He has started the year on the right foot and now it remains to be seen how the year will progress.