Sam Cloutier named new Lewiston coach

Sam Cloutier is the new Lewiston High School boys hockey coach. He posed for some photos at the Blue Devils’ home rink, The Colisée in Lewiston, on Friday. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Sam Cloutier is excited to be back with the Lewiston boys hockey program.

The 2011 Lewiston High School graduate, who is a physical education teacher and assistant athletic director at the school, will be the Blue Devils’ next head coach.

Cloutier takes over for Jamie King, who resigned in April after leading Lewiston to the Class A state championship.

“As you know, I was coaching the boys lacrosse program this past season,” Cloutier said. “But the hockey position opened up, and having played for the program and been a part of that tradition for a long time. I was really excited to throw my name in the hat for the position, and I was lucky enough that Mr. (Jason) Fuller gave me the job. So I’m really happy to be coming back home to Lewiston and coaching the hockey program, for sure.”

Fuller, Lewiston’s athletic director, said Cloutier is the right man for the job.

“He’s a guy that understands high school sports and understands the values we’re trying to teach kids on a regular basis,” Fuller said. “It’s not always about, you know, the wins and the losses as much as it is some of those soft skills that matter. I think Sam has a very good feel for what we’re looking for with our head coaches and what we want to do moving forward. I think, Sam is an alum, he knows the value of the program and how important hockey is at the high school, and he’s an individual (who) had a very positive experience here at Lewiston. He wants to give back to create some positive memories for the kids that play.”

This past spring, Cloutier was named the interim boys lacrosse coach after the previous coach, Ben Fournier, and his assistant coaches stepped down midseason.

Cloutier said he won’t coach the boys varsity lacrosse team in 2025 because he said coaching two varsity teams will be difficult while trying to spend time with his family.

Sam Cloutier is the new Lewiston High School boys hockey coach. Cloutier is shown here at The Colisée with his 1-year-old son. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Coaching hockey is something Cloutier hasn’t done much of, but has some high school hockey experience working with the South Portland program when he was an assistant AD at that school.

“I did some coaching, some camps, and things like that,” Cloutier said. “But…