WENDEL CLARK

He played with heart over 15 NHL seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs (three times), Quebec Nordiques, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Wendel Clark was a member of the Blue and White when he made the emotional announcement of his retirement in 2000.

He arrived in Toronto as a farm boy from Saskatchewan, taken first overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. Using his remarkable shot and sheer determination, Clark rapidly established himself as a cornerstone for a brighter Leafs’ future. It was Cliff Fletcher who anointed Clark as Leafs captain from 1991 to ’94 – and it was also Fletcher who turned Clark into Mats Sundin during a blockbuster and controversial trade with the Nordiques in the summer of ’94. In typical Clark fashion, he commended Fletcher’s savvy in the deal noting that Sundin went on to star for the Leafs long after his NHL career ended!

Clark registered 260 of his 330 NHL regular-season goals with Toronto. He had 564 career points (441 with Toronto) in 793 regular-season games (608 with Toronto). Clark possesses the Leafs record with 34 playoff goals and ranks fifth with 61 postseason points. His No. 17 was honoured by the Leafs on November 22, 2008. Clark and Darryl Sittler gracefully, enthusiastically and proudly serve as community representatives for the Leafs.

Clark has long been a supporter of Easter Seals, initially as a player. In 2011 Clark served as Honourary Chair of the Rogers Conn Smythe Sports Celebrities Dinner.