Wendel Clark, once the heart and soul of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a man of few words, but those words are positive, borderline effusive.
So, while he need not create much of a buzz for the Maple Leaf alumni game next month at Barrie Molson Centre (it’s already sold out), he feels enough of a buzz about the current Leaf players to share it.
“The team’s got a pretty good record,” he tells BarrieToday. “We’re in the ballpark of making the playoffs, just a point behind the Islanders (for the last post-season berth in the NHL Eastern Conference, as of early March), and it’s an exciting bunch of young players . . . It’s a lot more fun (these days) to turn on a Leaf game.”
Nor does the former Leaf captain restrict himself to the obvious choices of who makes the team exciting; guys like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have a really good supporting cast around them, he says.
“I’d say (William) Nylander is about the most exciting young player on the team, and let’s not forget Connor Brown, Zach Hyman, and Tyler Bozak, playing with James van Riemsdyk. (Frederik) Andersen is playing awesome, too (in goal).”
The man they used to call “Captain Crunch” for his bruising style of play will have a pretty fair supporting cast on his side, when they take on the Rotary All-Stars for fun, and a worthy cause, Friday, April 21, starting at 6 p.m. with the pre-game skate.
Clark will be on-hand along with Rick Vaive, Craig Muni, Mark LaForest, Jack Valiquette, Greg Hotham, Darryl Shannon, Wes Jarvis, Kevin Maguire, Ric Nattress and Dmitri Mironov.
But Clark, who now resides in King City, refuses to get pinned down as to the highlight of his 15-year career, nine of those years in a Leaf uniform. Being drafted in 1985 was exciting, he says. So were the club’s playoff runs in 1993 and ’94, having his jersey retired with him after he hung it up in 2000 another trip.
When asked who his favourite coach was, the answer came easy. “Barry MacKenzie, at Notre Dame (College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan), and it’s not for just one thing he taught me. It’s never just one thing. He was the principal of the school, and coached me in midget hockey and I was a sponge, and he taught me a lot.”
MacKenzie and fellow Olympian Terry O’Malley coached some legendary “Hounds” teams at Notre Dame.
And the future looks bright for the Clark family. Wendel’s son Kody is in his first year with the Ottawa 67s in the Ontario Hockey League, collecting seven goals and 11 points as his team plays out the string.
Lest anyone think Kody is of the same bruising mould as his dad, Wendel says, “No, he’s more a tall, skinny finesse player. He’s a great skater, and sees the ice really well.”
Wendel Clark anxiously awaits the Alumni Game, a celebration of the league’s centennial and the Leaf team’s 100th birthday with it.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the guys again, having some fun, providing some great entertainment, and raising money for charity.”
He also has grounds for optimism in the current Leaf management, saying president Brendan Shanahan is providing “a different philosophy, a different way of thinking” when it comes to building a team.
Clark maintains there are "no negatives” about the past in terms of leadership “just a different philosophy” about this one.
“They’ve got an exciting, young team, and I’m looking forward to their having a playoff run.”
So says the man who started a new era of his own in Toronto.
