Absurd Goalie Monday: Marcel Cousineau

This week's AGM had very few winning seasons to his name, though you have to wonder if that was his problem or the fact he wasn't on many very good teams. Regardless of what it was, he had enough chances to try and break through, but it didn't seem to stick. This week, a look at the career of Marcel Cousineau.

The first appearance of Cousineau was in Midget AAA, playing with the Richelieu Riverains, he would go 22-5-0 in 27 games, then going 1-3 in four playoff games before he would jump to the QMJHL's Beauport Harfangs in the 1990-91 season, finishing that season with a 14-29-3 record in 49 appearances. Cousineau was drafted by the Boston Bruins during the 1991 Entry Draft, but he'd return to Beauport for the 1991-92 season, playing in 67 games and compiling a 26-32-5 record. The 1992-93 season had Cousineau start in Beauport, going 12-24-2 in 39 games before being traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs, going 8-8-0 in 21 games there; then going 3-6 in nine playoff games.

Cousineau was a free agent at the start of the 1993-94 season, but would get signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in November of 1993 and sent to the AHL St. John's Maple Leafs, playing in 37 games with a 13-11-9 record to show. Cousineau would get the starter's role in the 1994-95 season, but would only finish with a 22-27-6 in 58 games; then go 0-3 in three playoff games. Cousineau would put in 62 games for St. John's in the 1995-96 season, finishing with a 21-26-13 record, then 1-3 in four playoff games for the Baby Leafs. The 1996-97 season had Cousineau get a step up the the NHL with Toronto, where he would play in 13 games with a 3-5-1 record; but he would split his season in St. John's, where he'd go 7-8-3 in 19 games with the Baby Leafs, then 6-5 in 11 playoff games. The majority of the 1997-98 season has Cousineau back in St. John's, finishing with a 17-25-13 record in 57 games, then 1-3 in four playoff games-- all the while making two appearances in Toronto with no decisions in either game.

Cousineau would sign with the New York Islanders in the summer of 1998 and play most of the 1998-99 season with the Lowell Lock Monsters, putting up a 26-17-7 record with a 0-3 playoff record. Cousineau also saw six games on Long Island, compiling an 0-4-0 record in those games.

Before the 1999 Draft, Cousineau-- along with Ziggy Palffy, Bryan Smolinski, and a pick-- were traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Olli Jokinen, Josh Green, Mathieu Biron, and a pick. Most of the 1999-2000 season, Cousineau spent in the IHL with the Long Beach Ice Dogs, going 15-6-1 in 23 games, while spending five games with the Kings, going 1-1-0. Cousineau would miss the last month of the IHL season due to appendicitis. The 2000-01 season had Cousineau in the AHL with the Lowell Lock Monsters, finishing there with a 15-20-2 record and o-1 in this playoff appearance. With a new AHL affiliate to the Kings, Cousineau would be play with the Manchester Monarchs for the 2001-02 season, finishing with a 10-12-2 record in 28 appearances.

With no North American offers, Cousineau went overseas to play with Severstal Cherepovets in the Russian Elite League. The 2002-03 season had Cousineau playing in 34 games with a 1.81 GAA with six shutouts. Also, Cousineau would help Cherepovets win the silver place in the Russian League playoffs.

Cousineau would come back to North America to play in the Quebec Semi-Pro League with the Verdun Dragons in the 2003-04 season, finishing with a 17-10-1 record in 29 games. When the league changed its name to the North American League in 2004-05, he played with the Sorel-Tracy Mission, playing in 52 games before he would hang up the pads.

The whereabouts of Cousineau since he retired are unknown, but he did seem to have some chances to make a name of himself; but happenstances didn't turn out the way he had wanted. He did get a lot of playoff experience; but did nothing with it due to his teams' inabilities to actually give him any means of support to help him win.