The Toronto Marlies have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran enforcer Kyle Clifford, the club announced Wednesday afternoon.
Clifford, 33, spent the entire 2023-24 season with the Marlies while on a one-way NHL contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 6’2″ left wing recorded 10 goals, 28 points, and 140 penalty minutes in 53 games with the Marlies this past season.
As was the case when they signed Alex Nylander to an AHL contract on the weekend, the Marlies did not disclose the financial terms of Clifford’s new deal with the team. The Ayr, Ontario product earned $762,500 per year on his previous NHL deal with the Maple Leafs.
Clifford is currently in his second stint in the Maple Leafs organization. He first joined the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2020 trade deadline as a supporting piece in the deal that saw Trevor Moore head to the Los Angeles Kings and Jack Campbell go to Toronto.
The Kings originally selected Clifford in the second round (No. 35 overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. Clifford enjoyed three strong seasons with the OHL’s Barrie Colts before jumping directly into the NHL with the Kings in the 2010-11 season.
Clifford won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2012 and 2014, although he played a much more active role in helping the team win its second championship. After dressing for just three playoff games in 2012, Clifford skated in 24 of 26 contests during the Kings’ 2014 playoff run and picked up seven points.
The Maple Leafs re-acquired Clifford from the St. Louis Blues early in the 2021-22 season. Clifford skated in 23 games with the Maple Leafs in 2021-22 and two more in 2022-23 before being sent to the Marlies, with whom he has remained ever since. He served as an alternate captain with the Marlies in 2023-24.
Clifford has collected 66 goals and 144 points in 753 games with the Kings, Maple Leafs, and Blues during his NHL career, adding four goals and 16 points in 65 playoff contests. He’s amassed 21 goals and 51 points in 110 career AHL games with the Marlies and Ontario Reign.
