Bruising forward Kyle Clifford announced his retirement from professional hockey on Wednesday, thereby ending an NHL career that spanned 13 seasons.
But in the same retirement announcement, Clifford revealed that he will be beginning a new chapter of his life with a role that will keep him involved with the sport.
According to Mayor’s Manor, Clifford will begin his post-playing career within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, where he will join the team’s front office in an undisclosed player development role. Clifford has spent most of the past four seasons with the Maple Leafs, the past two of which he has exclusively played for the Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate.
Clifford was best known for his time with the Los Angeles Kings, the team that took him in the second round (No. 35 overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft. He spent the first decade of his career in Los Angeles, where he won two Stanley Cups — the first after a 4-2 series win over the New Jersey Devils in 2012, and the second after a 4-1 series win over the New York Rangers in 2014.
Clifford was especially productive during the latter Stanley Cup-winning campaign, as he totaled seven points (one goal and six assists) across 24 contests.
In addition to his time with the Maple Leafs and Kings, Clifford had a brief stint with the St. Louis Blues. He finished his career with 144 points (66 goals and 78 assists) in 753 regular-season games and 16 points (four goals and 12 assists) in 65 postseason games.
