Brandt Clarke: With Great Strides Towards a Regular Spot with the Los Angeles Kings

Brandt Clarke feels he has a new opportunity with the Los Angeles Kings since Matt Roy vacated a position on the right defense by moving to the Washington Capitals. The Kings did not immediately fill Roy's spot, which makes Clarke optimistic about establishing himself permanently on the team. "This shows me that they have confidence in me," Clarke recently expressed optimistically as the Kings opened their rookie camp. Clarke, whose goal is to become a steady part of the team this season, began this journey with an intense game at the Rookie Faceoff against the Vegas Golden Knights. Under the guidance of Marco Sturm, the head coach of the AHL team Ontario Reign, Clarke was engaged in every game situation, even though the Kings ultimately suffered a 2-0 defeat. While Clarke excelled in the AHL and earned All-Star honors, he sees it as his primary task to earn his coaches' trust by playing responsible defense. Promising offensive talents like Clarke must also prove themselves in defensive reliability, which significantly helped him last season. Sean O'Donnell, former King and part of the Kings' development team, emphasizes that Clarke's defensive play is often underestimated. Clarke is stronger on the ice than generally assumed and demonstrates an excellent understanding of the game in crucial situations. The Kings have high hopes for Clarke. Following Roy’s departure and the resulting vacancy, Clarke now has the opportunity to establish himself. His performance last season, including his first NHL goal, underscores his potential. Clarke himself embraces this challenge and stated that he not only wants to play in the NHL but also stand out and crucially support his team. Ultimately, Clarke is facing a significant season. Whether he can turn his ambitions into reality will be seen in the coming weeks and months.