Graeme Clarke
Graeme Clarke | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 24, 2001 United States |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey forward |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Known for | Playing for the Washington Capitals in the NHL |
Graeme Clarke (born April 24, 2001) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward, originally from the United States, currently playing for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen 80th overall by the New Jersey Devils during the third round of the 2019 NHL entry draft.
Junior
Clarke was picked sixth overall by the Ottawa 67's in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection. Early in the 2017–18 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season, he registered his first goal and assist, concluding the campaign with 14 goals and a total of 25 points across 63 games. During that season, he also executed a notable Michigan goal.
In the following 2018–19 season, Clarke elevated his statistics to 23 goals and 34 points over 55 games. He added seven goals and 14 points in 18 playoff appearances as Ottawa advanced to the OHL finals. This strong showing contributed to his selection by New Jersey in the 2019 NHL draft.
Although a shoulder injury restricted him to just 16 games in the 2019–20 season, Clarke managed to tally nine goals and accumulate 17 points, maintaining a point-per-game pace despite the season being shortened by the pandemic.
Professional
Due to the cancellation of the 2020–21 OHL season amid the pandemic, Clarke and his brother Brandt Clarke began that season with HC Nové Zámky competing in the Slovak Extraliga. After six games in Slovakia where he recorded one assist, Clarke signed a one-year contract with the Binghamton Devils, then affiliated with New Jersey, on February 8, 2021. Shortly thereafter, on March 6, he inked a three-year entry-level deal with the Devils organization. Over 31 AHL games with Binghamton, he contributed eight goals and totaled 18 points.
For the entire 2021–22 AHL season, Clarke was assigned to the Utica Comets, where he scored 24 points in 52 regular-season matches and added one point during three playoff contests before Utica was ousted in the second round by the Rochester Americans.
In the subsequent 2022–23 AHL season, Clarke more than doubled his scoring output, reaching 58 points across 68 games. His performance earned him AHL player of the week honors on December 25, 2022, following four goals and six points over two games. During that year’s playoffs, he tallied six points in six games as Utica was again eliminated in round two by the Toronto Marlies.
Clarke made his NHL debut on January 6, 2024, in a game that ended in a 6–4 defeat against the Vancouver Canucks. Both he and Brandt were selected for participation in the 2024 AHL All-Star Game, marking them as only the second brother duo to be named together after Peter and Chris Ferraro. He wrapped up that AHL season leading Utica with 25 goals and eight game-winning goals among his total of 49 points over 67 games, finishing second on the team in overall points.
On June 21, 2024, Clarke was traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Adam Beckman. Following free agency after his contract with Minnesota expired, Clarke agreed to a one-year two-way contract with the Washington Capitals on July 2, 2025.
International play
Clarke represented Canada at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, contributing three points throughout five games as Canada secured the gold medal.
Personal life
Clarke comes from a family of ice hockey defencemen, with two younger siblings following the same path. His brother, Brandt Clarke, was chosen eighth overall by the Los Angeles Kings during the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, while his sister Mackenzie competes in collegiate hockey at St. Lawrence University.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2017–18 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 63 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 55 | 23 | 11 | 34 | 34 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | ||
| 2019–20 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 16 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | HC Nové Zámky | Slovak | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Binghamton Devils | AHL | 31 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Utica Comets | AHL | 52 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Utica Comets | AHL | 68 | 25 | 33 | 58 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Utica Comets | AHL | 67 | 25 | 24 | 49 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Iowa Wild | AHL | 64 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Canada | HG18 | Template:Gold1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| AHL | |
| AHL All-Star Game selection | 2024 |
| Utica Comets | |
| Three Stars Award recipient | 2024 |
External links
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Binghamton Devils players
- Canadian ice hockey forwards
- Iowa Wild players
- New Jersey Devils draft picks
- New Jersey Devils players
- HC Nové Zámky players
- Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- Ottawa 67's players
- People from Waconia, Minnesota
- Sportspeople from Carver County, Minnesota
- Utica Comets players
- 21st-century Canadian sportsmen