Baton Rouge Zydeco announces Sylvain Cloutier has accepted a Head Coaching position in the ECHL

The Baton Rouge Zydeco initially announced the hiring of Sylvain Cloutier as their head coach in the first week of June. Today, we’re proud to share that Cloutier has been promoted from his role with the Zydeco to take on a head coaching position at the AA level in the ECHL.

Team President Don Lewis expressed, "I want to express my sincere gratitude to Sylvain for the incredible impact he made in such a short amount of time this summer. He successfully rebuilt the core of our team and began bringing in new talent to create a championship-caliber squad on the ice. Sylvain worked tirelessly for us, and not a day went by without sharing a laugh or discussing the upcoming season’s main goal: winning a championship. Chris and I recognized that hiring a coach of Sylvain’s caliber would attract attention from many other teams, and we are thankful of what he accomplished here. We wish him nothing but success and look forward to watching his coaching career continue to grow. We are actively searching for another qualified coach who can help us reach our ultimate goal: a championship. Once again, I extend my best wishes for continued success to the Cloutier family."

Sylvain Cloutier stated, "Today I feel a mix of emotions — gratitude, humility, and a bit of bittersweetness. I want to start by thanking the ownership group, Don and Chris of the Baton Rouge Zydeco from the bottom of my heart. From the very first conversation, you showed trust in me, believed in my vision, and gave me the opportunity to be a part of something special — even if just for a short time. Your passion for the game, your care for your players, and your commitment to building something meaningful here in Baton Rouge is truly inspiring. I’m incredibly grateful to have had the chance to be even a small part of that. With that said, after much reflection, I’ve made the difficult decision to accept another coaching opportunity that aligns more closely with my long-term goals. It’s not easy walking away from a group of people and an organization I respect so deeply, but I leave with nothing but admiration for what’s happening here and full confidence in where this team is headed. Baton Rouge has something real. And I’ll be cheering loudly from afar — not just because I believe in the team, but because I’ll always carry a piece of this experience with me. Thank you again — for the opportunity, the support, and the memories."

Team owner Chris Bryniarski stated, "It will be a challenge to replace a coach like Sylvain, but we are diligently working to find his replacement.  Our goal is to hire another championship-caliber coach to lead the Zydeco starting with the 2025-2026 season.  We wish Sylvain the best in his career and look forward to seeing him succeed at the next level of hockey as a coach."

The Baton Rouge Zydeco will kick off their third season with their home opener on Friday, October 31st, and Saturday, November 1st. Season tickets and group ticket packages are still available and can be purchased by emailing seasontickets@BRZydeco.com