He played junior for the London Knights and then played for the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs where he was an all-star in 1972-73. The Toronto Maple Leafs chose him 139th overall in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft. Boutette spent two years with the Oklahoma City Blazers then stepped in with the Leafs. A small player (5'8), he was a tough player who never hesitated to stand up to much bigger players. Bouttete did well for the Penguins for two seasons, scoing 27 and 23 goals. By 1983 he was slowing down, He was traded back to the Whalers and retired in 1985.