As a youth, Chouinard played in the 1994
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a
minor ice hockey team from the Mille-Îles area of
Laval, Quebec. Chouinard compiled a 104-60-13 record with the
Shawinigan Cataractes and was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round (15th overall) of the
1998 NHL Entry Draft. By 2000, unable to agree to terms on a contract with the Senators, he instead opted back into the NHL draft. Hoping for a fresh start with a new organization, Chouinard was instead selected once more by the Senators, this time in Round 2 (45th overall) of the
2000 NHL Entry Draft. Chouinard spent three seasons in the Senators' organization, winning the
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (shared with
Martin Prusek and
Simon Lajeunesse) during the
2001–02 American Hockey League season. He signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings in July, 2003 Chouinard made his one NHL appearance on February 29, 2004, when the Los Angeles Kings faced the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at the
Arrowhead Pond. Midway through the third, forward
Steve Rucchin scored to give the Ducks a 6–3 lead. Starter
Cristobal Huet, was pulled and Chouinard completed the game, stopping two shots he faced. ==Career statistics==