Born in Carroll, Manitoba, Loughlin played senior hockey with the Winnipeg Monarchs and Strathconas before joining the PCHA's Portland Rosebuds in 1916-17. After one more year in Oregon, he joined the Victoria Cougars and was an integral part of the club's fortunes for eight years. Along the way he hit double figures in goals scored twice, was placed on the PCHA second all-star team three times and named to the first team in 1924. In 1925 he got his hands on the Stanley Cup after the Cougars vanquished the Montreal Canadiens in the final series. Loughlin remained with Victoria when it joined the WCHL/WHL after the demise of the PCHA.

In May 1926, Loughlin became a member of the Detroit Cougars after the entire Victoria team was purchased by the NHL expansion club. He provided stability on defense for two years in Motown before he was sent to the Chicago Black Hawks for cash. After playing 24 games in the Windy City in 1928-29, Loughlin spent the rest of the schedule with the Kitchener Millionaires of the Can-Pro League. He then spent his last three years as a player in the IAHL with the London Panthers/Tecumsehs before retiring in 1932. The next year Loughlin tried his hand at coaching the Tecumsehs for one season.

Courtesy of the Hockey Hall of Fame