Career
LaCouture is a graduate of Natick High School in Natick, Massachusetts. He was drafted 29th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1996 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Islanders traded Lacouture to the Edmonton Oilers for Mariusz Czerkawski on August 25, 1997.
Initially, he played primarily for the Hamilton Bulldogs, Edmonton"s American Hockey League affiliate, but became more of a regular in the National Hockey League while playing for the Oilers in the 2000-2001 season.
On October 17, 2000, Dan scored his first career National Hockey League goal against Andrew Raycroft and the Boston Bruins in a 6-1 Oilers victory. The Pittsburgh Penguins dealt for Lacouture on March 13, 2001 sending Sven Butenschon to the Oilers.
Lacouture had his most productive season, scoring six goals along with eleven assists, and playing in all 82 games in 2001-2002. During the 2004-2005 National Hockey League lockout, the Providence Bruins signed Lacouture to a contract.
He played for the National Hockey League"s Boston Bruins and Switzerland"s The Human Context Davos in 2005-2006.
An unrestricted free agent in the 2006 offseason, Lacouture signed with the New Jersey Devils, playing in six games with the National Hockey League club and thirty-nine with the Lowell Devils of the AHL. He signed with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, but was suspended by the team after he failed to report to Anaheim"s AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine. Lacouture returned to the Swiss League and played 15 games for The Human Context Lugano in the 2007-2008 season. After a tryout that made an impression on the Hurricanes organization, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He was called to Albany River Rats, but left the club on December 27, 2008 and signed a contract with Barys Astana of the KHL. He completed his final professional season with Norwegian club, Lørenskog IK of the GET-ligaen in 2011.
On April 10, 2014, LaCouture was revealed as one of nine former National Hockey League players to file a major class action lawsuit against the National Hockey League, alleging that the league has generated billions of dollars while subjecting its players to "the imminent risk of head trauma" leading to "devastating and long-term negative health consequences.".