Clouthier's role easy to define

HIDALGO – Brett Clouthier is missing a few bottom teeth. His deep voice and jutting chin make him easily mistakable for a boxer or a character from a Guy Ritchie movie. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that show him pummeling opponents. Over his last two full seasons, he’s averaged 234.5 penalty minutes.

During his Killer Bees (9-5-2) debut on Wednesday night after coming from Providence of the AHL, Clouthier did nothing to make anybody doubt the accuracy of his reputation as a fighter and enforcer. His night ended late in the second period with 17 penalty minutes and a memorable fight that excited the Dodge Arena crowd.

He insists, however, there’s more to his game than just punches and brute force, which he hopes to show more of starting tonight when the Bees visit Amarillo (6-9-2).

“I want to work on my game. I’m not a bad player,” Clouthier said. “I want to keep plugging away. If someone messes with our guys I’m going to take care of business, or if we need a little boost from the fans, I’m going to do it.

“But it’s ice hockey, it’s not ice fighting. I’m going to do what I can to get the boys going if I have to.”

Maybe “If I have to” are the key words in that statement. He said Wednesday night he didn’t enter the game intending to fight. He said he was drawn into the fight by Bossier-Shreveport’s Kirk Medernach, which led to the early end of their nights.

If somebody were to upload it, video of Wednesday night’s fit would fit in well with some of Clouthier’s previous incidents. Those videos, Clouthier insists, don’t show the other parts of his game.

“You don’t see me scoring goals on YouTube,” Clouthier said. “I hope to show them the other facets of my game. I didn’t make Providence by accident. I showed them I could play hockey.”

Clouthier’s first night with the Bees was a mixed one. Though the fight is what will be remembered, his first shift ended with a slashing penalty that led to a Bossier-Shreveport power play goal. Later in the first, though, he drew an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Tysen Dowzak that turned into Daymen Rycroft’s game-tying power play goal.

Regardless of those exchanges, the Bees had a player both capable of producing while having the main purpose of being the answer to any physical play.

“When he’s out there, people know he’s out there,” winger Jesse Bennefield said. “He sends a message to the other team to maybe watch how they play.”

Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.