Mike Clarke (ice hockey b. 1953)

Mike Clarke
Born	August 12, 1953 (1953-08-12) (age 58) Didsbury, AB, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	AHL Richmond Robins Springfield Indians Adirondack Red Wings New Haven Nighthawks
NHL Draft	42nd overall, 1973 Philadelphia Flyers
WHA Draft	26th overall, 1973 New England Whalers
Playing career	1973–1984

Mike Clarke (born August 29, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who, in 1973, was drafted by both the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association.

Clarke was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 3rd round (42nd overall) of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft,^[1] and was also selected by the New England Whalers in the 2nd round (26th overall) of the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft.^[2]

Although Clarke went on to play eleven seasons of professional hockey, he never played a game in either of major leagues that had drafted him.^[3]

Playing career

Born 1992 in Didsbury, Alberta, Canada, Clarke played major junior hockey with the Calgary Centennials of the Western Hockey League. He began his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 1973 with the Richmond Robins - then the minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Following his rookie campaign, Clarke was bounced around the minor leagues; playing in the AHL, NAHL, IHL, and EHL.

Clarke achieved his best success with the Flint Generals during the 1976-77 season when he racked up 108 points in 78 games with IHL team.^[4] In all he would play five seasons and 342 games with the Generals, scoring a total of 380 points for the Flint team.

Mid-way through the 1981-82 season, the Generals dealt Clarke to the Fort Wayne Komets where he continued to produce by scoring 127 points in 127 games for the Komets.

Clarke's 11 season professional career concluded following the 1983-84 season. He retired as a member of the Kalamazoo Wings after being traded to that team by Fort Wayne earlier that season. His total professional statistics are summed up with 721 points in 747 regular season games, with another 66 points scored in 60 post-season games.

Further reading

• Toledo Blade - Feb 10, 1978 - Page 15 - He Shoots, He Scores' Give Announcers Laryngitis at Flint
• The Milwaukee Journal - Dec 22, 1978- Page 15 - Admirals' Defeat Gift Wrapped
• The Milwaukee Sentinel - Dec 23, 1978 - Part 2, Page 1 - Flint Spoils Admirals' Christmas
• The Argus-Press - Feb 3, 1979 - Page 11 - Admirals as Good as Generals
• The Milwaukee Sentinel - Part 2, Page 2 - Feb 3, 1979 - Admirals tie
• Toledo Blade - Dec 21, 1981- Page 33 - Fraser's Clutch Goals Lift Diggers To Overtime Victory
• The Argus-Press - Apr 10, 1982- Page 10 - Toledo Two Up On Flint

References

1. ^ 1973 NHL Amateur Draft - Philadelphia Flyers picks - NHL.com
2. ^ The Lewiston Daily Sun - May 19, 1973 - Page 16 - Whaler Picks
3. ^ Eliteprospects.com - Mike Clarke
4. ^ Eliteprospects.com - 1976 - 1977 Flint Generals

External links

• Mike Clarke's career stats at Eliteprospects.com
• Mike Clarke's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

Persondata
Name	Clarke, Mike
Alternative names
Short description	Canadian ice hockey goaltender and coach
Date of birth	August 29, 1953
Place of birth	Didsbury, AB, CAN
Date of death
Place of death