Toronto Maple Leafs: Is Wendel Clark’s Son NHL Bound?

Some names live on through history. With the Toronto Maple Leafs, even young fans are familiar with the name Wendel Clark.

That’s because the Toronto Maple Leafs first-overall pick in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft did it all for the blue and white.

Clark’s first nine seasons were with Toronto. In that time, he was not just a talented scorer (His career-best was 46 goals in 1993-94.) but also a gritty left-winger who wasn’t afraid to drop the mitts.

Now that time has marched on, it’s worth wondering if Wendel’s son might ever make the show.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Wendel Clark’s Potential Legacy

In 1999, the Leafs legend had a son with his wife Denise who they named Kody. Like his siblings Kassie and Kylie, Kody’s name was spelled with a ‘K’. While he shares that similarity with his siblings, he shares his father’s extraordinary hockey talents making him a long shot prospect to make it to the NHL.

Kody’s skills showed up even at a young age. He was by far the best player on his minor peewee (U12) AAA Toronto Young Nationals team who won the GTHL city championship. By age 16, when Kody was playing on the Toronto Marlboros, he had been surpassed by a number of his peers. Drafted in the sixth-round (115th overall) of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection, Clark had to prove he deserved a place on the Ottawa 67’s.

Clark played for St. Andrew’s College until the 67’s gave him a shot. His rookie season in the OHL was 2016-17. Clark played limited minutes but dressed for 57 games. He recorded seven goals and four assists in those games. His sophomore season was better. Not only did Clark earn more ice time but he also improved his production. In 56 games, the King City, Ontario native scored 18 goals and 21 assists. This got NHL scouts attention.

The Washington Capitals liked what they saw and used their second-round (47th overall) pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft to select Clark. Since then, he finished one more season in Ottawa before making the leap to play pro hockey.

The Leafs drafted Rasmus Sandin with their first pick in the 2018 draft, and took Sean Durzi with their second pick, just five picks after the Capitals took Clark.  It’s worth wondering if the Leafs would have snagged Wendel’s son, if he was available.

Clark joined the Capitals AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. He plays right wing for the team who have enjoyed having him in the lineup. Unfortunately for Clark, he has struggled to stay healthy and on the ice.

With the goal of playing in the NHL, Clark has worked hard both on and off the ice. His career hit a setback in the fall. This season, he has yet to take a shift. That’s because the 23-year-old has been battling “a chronic condition with his left quad tendon”. In order to keep his NHL dream alive, Clark underwent surgery in October with the expectation that he won’t step foot on the ice until April at the earliest.

The NHL still remains a long shot for Clark but it’s not out of the question. Hopefully, there comes a time when he can pull a Leafs jersey over his head and hop the boards in the world’s best hockey league.