Cloutier made his Kings debut in the first game of the regular season, a 4–3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on October 6, 2006. He made 28 saves on 32 shots. During his first week of the regular season, he suffered a hip injury, but continued playing on the insistence of team management. In retrospect, he later recalled that his "biggest mistake was playing hurt for them." The Kings organization also had Cloutier change his goaltender mask from the uncommon mask/cage style to the more traditional full-fibreglass style for safety and insurance purposes. After recording 6 wins in 24 games and a 3.98 GAA, Cloutier's hip forced him to end his season, aggravating it on December 23, 2006, in a 7–0 loss to the Nashville Predators.