Chouinard joined the Avalanche organization in May 2010 when he signed an entry level deal. He played for the Lake Erie Monsters during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, accumulating 27 points (8g, 19a) in 88 games. The 6'1" 190-pound defenseman played four years in the QMJHL for the Victoriaville Tigres. He logged 221 games, scoring 45 goals and 99 asssists for 144 points.
His final year in the Q was extremely successful. From AHL.com:
Led all QMJHL defensemen with 23 goals and finished second in scoring with 68 points… Named to QMJHL First All-Star Team, and was a finalist for the Emile Bouchard Trophy as league’s best defenseman… led Victoriaville with a +23 rating… Won the Paul-Dumont Trophy as the QMJHL’s “Personality of the Year” for ambassador work in the local community, and was finalist for the Marcel-Robert Trophy as QMJHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year
The Denver Cutthroats have a back-to-back, two-game homestand this weekend against the Fort Worth Brahmas.
/stick tap to earl06 for the scoop.
More news from the Fish. Per their press release:
The Denver Cutthroats completed a series of roster moves today as the team prepares for a pair of weekend home games against the visiting Texas Brahmas. Defenseman Joel Chouinard has been assigned to the Cutthroats from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, and former University of Denver forward Gabe Gauthier has been signed to the team’s roster.
The Cutthroats waived forward Tony Mosey and traded defenseman Steve Makway to the Bloomington Blaze for future considerations in order to make room for Chouinard and Gauthier.
“Teams at any level always look to improve their roster as the season progresses,” said Cutthroats Head Coach Derek Armstrong. “We’ve picked up a young, productive defenseman that was drafted by the Avalanche and can help us on the blue line, plus we’ve added a veteran forward with AHL experience and a connection to the Denver area.”
Chouinard (shwee-NARD) is currently in his third pro season after being selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2008 Entry Draft. The 22-year-old blueliner was a point-per-game player during his final year of junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League scoring 23 goals and 68 points in 65 games for the Victoriaville Tigres in 2009-10. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound native of Longueuil, Quebec has appeared in 88 games for Lake Erie over the past two seasons registering 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists).
Gauthier, 28, was a four-year player at the University of Denver from 2002-06 where he won a pair of NCAA National Championships (2004, 2005) and competed on the same line as current Cutthroats forward Luke Fulghum during his first two years. The Torrance, California native brings 274 games of AHL experience with him to the Cutthroats roster scoring 57 goals and 122 assists in those contests. The 5-foot-9, 205-pound Gauthier (GOH-chee-yay) has appeared in eight NHL games during his career, all with the Los Angeles Kings, and was a teammate of Cutthroats Head Coach Derek Armstrong during that time.
“Both players can provide an immediate impact for our team,” added Armstrong.
Makway appeared in four games for the Cutthroats this season recording four assists. Mosey (MOH-zee) also played four games for the Cutthroats with a +2 rating.
Chouinard is the seventh player assigned to the Cutthroats this season from the Monsters. Gauthier becomes the third player on the Cutthroats roster to have played hockey at the University of Denver (Luke Fulghum, Aaron MacKenzie).
The Cutthroats host the Texas Brahmas on Friday and Saturday at the Denver Coliseum. Puck drop is set for 7:05 PM MST each night.