Mezue ahịrịokwu na-esonụ: Na-esote oge ezumike, Cloutier gbanwere n'ụbọchị nke 1999 NHL Entry Draft (June 26, 1999) na Tampa Bay Lightning. E zigara ya na Tampa Bay, ya na onye na-agba ọsọ Niklas Sundstrom, bụ onye a họpụtara na agba nke mbụ (Nikita Alexeev) n'afọ
2000 na nhọrọ nke atọ (mgbe e mesịrị gbanwere) na 2000, maka nhọrọ nke mbụ nke Lightning na draft nke afọ ahụ (Pavel Brendl). Site na ọpụpụ nke onye mbido mbụ nke Tampa Bay, Bill Ranford, na Detroit Red Wings na Darren Puppa na-eru nso na njedebe nke ọrụ ya, Cloutier weere ọnọdụ mmalite maka klọb ọhụrụ ya. Oge mbụ Cloutier dị ka onye mbido NHL kwụsịrị ọtụtụ oge na ọtụtụ mmerụ ahụ na nkwụsị. O merụrụ ahụ n'akpịrị n'isi mmalite nke mkpọsa ahụ na November 18, 1999, na-amanye ya n'egwuregwu abụọ. Na Jenụwarị 14, 2000, otu egwuregwu kwụsịtụrụ ya maka egwuregwu anọ mgbe ihe mere na Islanders na-aga n'ihu Tim Connolly. Mgbe ha abụọ kụchara, Cloutier nyochara Connolly, wee gbaa ya isi (okpu agha Connolly adịghị) mgbe ọ dina ihu na ice. N'ọnwa na-eso ya, ọ gbasiri ụkwụ ya ike na February 21 wee hapụ egwuregwu anọ. Cloutier atụfuru asọmpi anọ ọzọ na-amalite na Machị 14 mgbe ọ merụrụ ahụ n'olu ya. Mmerụ ahụ nke anọ ya n'oge a mere na Machị 28, mgbe ọ merụrụ eriri medial collateral ligament (MCL) wee hapụ egwuregwu ise. Ọ mechiri oge 1999-2000 na-apụta na egwuregwu 52 maka Lightning, na-edekọ mmeri 9, 30 na-efu na 3 agbatị ka ndị otu ahụ kwụsịrị nke abụọ na njedebe na egwuregwu ahụ. O dere 3.49 GAA na.885 pasent na-azọpụta.