Wendel Clark
First overall pick in 1985, known for physical play and scoring.
Last updated
Wendel Lee Clark is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player whose career spanned from 1985 to 2000. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Clark was selected first overall in the 1985 NHL entry draft by the Maple Leafs, a team he captained from 1991 to 1994 and with which he remains closely associated as a fan favourite.
Lore & Background
Clark began his junior career as a defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League and was a member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 1985 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. After being drafted first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was converted to forward. In his rookie season, Clark led the team with 34 goals and 227 penalty minutes, earning a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team and finishing second in Calder Memorial Trophy voting. He was named captain of the Maple Leafs for the 1991–92 season.
During the 1992–93 playoffs, Clark recorded 20 points in 21 games as the Leafs reached the Campbell Conference Finals, a series that included a notable fight with Marty McSorley and a hat-trick in Game Six. In the 1993–94 season, he scored a career-high 46 goals in 64 games playing on a line with Dave Andreychuk and Doug Gilmour. Clark was traded to the Quebec Nordiques in June 1994 in a multi-player deal that involved Mats Sundin.
After the Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche, a contract dispute led to his trade to the New York Islanders in a three-way deal. He played 58 games with the Islanders before finishing the season back in Toronto. The Islanders received a first-round pick from the Leafs (4th overall in 1997) that became Roberto Luongo. Clark later played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Blackhawks before returning to the Maple Leafs in 2000 and retiring on June 29, 2000.
Reader's Guide
Wendel Clark's significance in hockey history is tied to his role as a first overall draft pick who combined exceptional physical toughness with offensive skill. His rookie season set a standard for two-way impact, leading his team in both goals and penalty minutes. As captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he led the team to its deepest playoff runs in years, including a memorable 1993 Conference Finals appearance. His trade from Toronto in 1994—involving Mats Sundin—became a defining transaction for both franchises.
Clark's brief tenure with the New York Islanders is notable because the first-round pick acquired for him became goaltender Roberto Luongo, a cornerstone player for the Islanders. After retirement, Clark remained with the Maple Leafs organization as a community ambassador, and his number 17 was retired by the team. He was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. His legacy is also reflected in popular culture through the song 'The Ballad of Wendel Clark Parts I & II' by the Canadian band The Rheostatics.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold World Junior Championships — 1985 Finland
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1983–84 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | 72 | 23 | 45 | 68 | 225 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | 64 | 32 | 55 | 87 | 253 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| 1985–86 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 66 | 34 | 11 | 45 | 227 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 47 |
| 1986–87 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 80 | 37 | 23 | 60 | 271 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 38 |
| 1987–88 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 28 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 15 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 38 | 18 | 8 | 26 | 116 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 |
| 1990–91 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 63 | 18 | 16 | 34 | 152 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 43 | 19 | 21 | 40 | 123 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 66 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 193 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 51 |
| 1993–94 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 64 | 46 | 30 | 76 | 115 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 24 |
| 1994–95 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 37 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 45 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 1995–96 | New York Islanders | NHL | 58 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 13 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 1996–97 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 65 | 30 | 19 | 49 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 47 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 65 | 28 | 14 | 42 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 1999–2000 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 20 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| NHL totals | 793 | 330 | 234 | 564 | 1,690 | 95 | 37 | 32 | 69 | 201 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Wendel Clark (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Frequently Asked Questions
What position did Wendel Clark play for the Islanders?
Although he broke into the league as a defenceman, Clark converted to forward and played that role for the remainder of his career, including his time in New York.
Why do Islanders fans remember Wendel Clark?
As a first overall draft pick who brought both body-checking intensity and goal-scoring to the team, Clark left a distinct mark during his years wearing the Islanders' blue and orange.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Wendel Clark (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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