At the time, the injury was still believed to be minor and Cloutier volunteered to continue playing in lieu of backup Mathieu Garon also being sidelined with a broken finger. When the pain in his hip quickly got worse, Cloutier appealed to team management. He saw a specialist who diagnosed him with a torn hip labrum and told him the injury could put his career in jeopardy. He was subsequently flown to Colorado for surgery on January 12, 2007. Cloutier remained in Colorado for ongoing treatment and was lodged by the organization in a motel 31 miles away from the clinic. The Kings' original insistence that he play and his subsequent lodging proved to be a contentious issue for Cloutier.