57-year-old former Leaf Wendel Clark scores a highlight reel goal
57-year-old Wendel Clark scored a highlight-reel goal, showing that he still has the hands this week during a pickup game in Toronto.
The beloved Toronto Maple Leaf, who retired following the 1999-2000 season, took part in a men's league game this week and proved that even though he may have slowed down, at 57-years-old, he can still pull off a few moves. Clark took a pass at the offensive blueline and then beat the defenseman by pulling the puck back behind him before tucking it in around the sprawled out goalie on the far side of the net.
Aside from the 1993-94 season, where Clark racked up 46 goals and a career high 76 points, he was known more for throwing huge hits dropping the gloves against any willing combatant. Small in stature, standing just 5'11, Clark was never scared to fight or antagonize anyone, regardless of how much bigger they were than him.
The former first overall pick in the 1985 NHL Draft played two seasons with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, where he racked up a whopping 478 penalty minutes in just 136 games prior to getting his start in the NHL. Clark's style of play and passion for the game is what endeared him to Leaf fans and his teammates.
He would play 13 seasons in the blue and white in three different stints and captained the team from 1991 to 1994. In the summer of 1994, he was infamously traded to the Quebec Nordiques for another eventual fan favourite, Mats Sundin. Before being traded, Clark helped the Leafs reach the Conference Finals against the LA Kings and Wayne Gretzky, where he went toe-to-toe with one of the most feared fighters in NHL history, Marty McSorley,, after the Kings goon landed a dirty hit on another Leafs legend, Doug Gilmour.
Clark also made stops in Chicago, Detroit, Tampa and in New York with the Islanders over his career before getting one final playoff run with the Leafs. Over 18 seasons, the Saskatchewan native skated in 793 games where he totaled 330 goals, 564 points and a ridiculous 1690 penalty minutes. The Leafs officially retired his number 17 in October of 2016 and he continues to be a presence in the public for the Leafs, often taking in home games and participating in charity events.
To this day, Clark represents the Leafs extremely well and remains a beloved fan-favourite and a great ambassador for the sport. It's nice to see that he still has the hands as well!
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 4 | 689 ANSWERS 57-year-old former Leaf Wendel Clark scores a highlight reel goal Who is your favourite Toronto Maple Leafs player of all-time? | ||
| Wendel Clark | 277 | 40.2 % |
| Mats Sundin | 90 | 13.1 % |
| Darryl Sittler | 149 | 21.6 % |
| Other | 173 | 25.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
