Junior career Clark began his major junior career in 1984 with the
Regina Pats of the
Western Hockey League. Seeing minimal action his first two seasons, he was traded in the middle of the 85-86 season to the
Saskatoon Blades, the team for which both his older brothers had played. Joining a squad with a number of notably rough players - his teammates included
Kelly Chase,
Tony Twist and
Kevin Kaminski - he skated a more regular shift and played credibly for the Blades for two and a half seasons.
Professional career Drafted in the tenth round of the
1986 NHL Entry Draft by the
New York Islanders, Clark reported to their minor league affiliate, the
Springfield Indians of the
American Hockey League, for the
1989 season. Playing for a team which won more fights than games, Clark's hardnosed style made him a fan favorite in Springfield. Aside from his fighting prowess - - although he scored only seven goals that season, he became noted for performing the
Michael Jackson "
moonwalk" on the ice after scoring a goal, first seen in a training camp exhibition match against the
New York Rangers, a habit that throughout his career proved as unpopular with opposing players as it was popular with hometown fans. The following season, a more powerful Indians team that went on to win the 1990
Calder Cup championship had little room for Clark, and he finished the year with the
Phoenix Roadrunners of the
International Hockey League, amassing 262 penalty minutes in only 38 games. He remained in the IHL for the next three seasons, with the
Salt Lake Golden Eagles. Clark played his best seasons in Utah, averaging 13 goals a year. Clark returned to the AHL with the
Portland Pirates, signing a minor league deal, in 1993, playing two seasons with that club as one of the "Bruise Brothers" before moving on to the
Orlando Solar Bears of the IHL in 1995. Clark finished his career with the
Milwaukee Admirals of the IHL in 1998, retiring after a vicious hit left him with a broken neck that almost paralyzed him. Clark retired as one of the most penalized players of all time; he is 15th in
International Hockey League history in penalty minutes and remains in the top 60 in minor league history in penalty minutes with 2812. Post playing career, he has spent time since as a hockey coach, first as Head Coach of the
OCN Blizzard of the
MJHL, followed by being an assistant coach for the
Prince George Cougars of the WHL in the mid-2000s. ==References==