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. Having recovered from his injury, he returned for training camp in September 2007. He was assigned to the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, after losing a roster spot to goaltenders Jason LaBarbera and Jonathan Bernier. During his stint with Manchester, Cloutier struggled to earn playing time, as younger goaltenders Jonathan Quick, Danny Taylor and Erik Ersberg were given more opportunity to play. At one point, he reported to the team's arena in preparation for a road trip, but was left in Manchester in favour of the team's other goaltenders. To Cloutier's surprise, he was recalled by Los Angeles on February 7, 2008, while Kings backup Jean-Sébastien Aubin was sent down in his place. After clearing re-entry waivers, he joined the Kings' roster to backup LaBarbera. Three days later, Cloutier started in goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets; he recorded his first NHL win in over a year, backstopping the Kings to a 3–2 shootout victory. After LaBarbera became sidelined with a groin injury, Cloutier began earning additional playing time with the Kings. On March 10, he played against the Canucks for the first time since being traded. He stopped 38 shots in a 2–1 overtime loss against his former teammates. Later that month, he suffered a groin injury and missed three games. Remaining with the Kings for the remainder of the 2007–08 season as backup to Ersberg, he recorded two wins in nine games with a 3.44 GAA and .887 save percentage. In the subsequent off-season, Cloutier's remaining year on his contract was bought out by the Kings on June 21, 2008. As teams cannot buyout the contract of an injured player, Cloutier claimed he was not healthy and contested the move. However, the NHL ruled in favour of the Kings; the buyout stood and Cloutier became an unrestricted free agent. Consequently, he received $2 million over