Longtime NHL winger Kyle Clifford told John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor last night that he’s retiring from his playing career.
Clifford, now 34, was a relatively notable prospect when the 6’2″ enforcer burst onto the scene. He was a second-round pick in 2009 – an early one at that – out of the OHL’s Barrie Colts, and showed legitimate offensive promise in his post-draft year when he clicked at nearly a point per game. Instead of returning to Barrie for a fourth and final junior season, he cracked L.A.’s roster out of camp in 2010, kicking off his pro career.
The Kings drafted Clifford with the knowledge that he’d rarely be anything more than a fourth-line agitator, but they hoped he had some more offensive tools in his skillset than other comparable players. That projection largely turned out to be true. He immediately became a fixture in the Kings’ lineup upon turning pro, never spending too long as a healthy scratch. He played a part in both of the Kings’ Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014 – including recording an assist on Alec Martinez’s overtime winner to seal the second one.
Clifford spent nearly a decade in the Kings’ organization, averaging 10:17 of ice time per game. His best season came in a Kings uniform in 2018-19, when he broke the 10-goal and 20-point marks for the first and only time with an 11-10–21 scoring line in 72 appearances. He recorded 60 goals, 69 assists, 129 points, and 819 PIMs in 660 games for L.A., ranking 11th and 12th in franchise history in the latter two numbers, respectively.
His time in SoCal came to an end in 2020. He was sent to the Maple Leafs in the Jack Campbell/Trevor Moore deal and recorded three points and 23 PIMs in 16 games for them before reaching free agency in the fall amid the pandemic. He landed a two-year deal with the Blues worth $1MM per season, but he was deployed more as a 13th/14th forward and only made 52 appearances for them before getting traded back to Toronto for future considerations early in the 2021-22 campaign.
That essentially marked the end of his NHL career. He did play 25 games for the Leafs over the next two years, but ended up being waived and assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for most of his tenure, his first full-time minor-league assignment. Clifford remained under NHL contract with Toronto through 2023-24 but spent last season with the Marlies on an AHL contract. He served as an alternate captain for them for the past two years and racked up 59 points and 256 PIMs in 125 games for them since debuting in 2022.
Clifford, while hanging up his skates, isn’t leaving the game. He’s staying in the Leafs organization in their player development department, Hoven relays. He retires with 66 goals, 78 assists, and 144 points in 753 career games, including 905 PIMs and 1,617 hits. All of us at PHR congratulate Clifford on his lengthy career and wish him well as he begins his time in NHL front offices.