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You are here: Home / HockeyBlog / Kyle Clifford is leaving LA, taking his talents to Ontario

Kyle Clifford is leaving LA, taking his talents to Ontario

November 21, 2012 By John Hoven

Kyle Clifford Kings playoffs MayorsManorFine, it doesn’t have the same ring as ‘Taking his talents to South Beach,’ however, Kyle Clifford is on the move. As reported yesterday, the 21-year old forward has signed a contract with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign.

He joined the team for his first practice on Tuesday, followed by another one earlier today. After completing his scheduled time on the ice, the 6-foot-2 Canadian checked in with MayorsManor to provide some clarity on the entire situation.

In an interesting note, it was former Kings assistant coach Mark Hardy – now an assistant in Ontario – who helped convince Clifford to join the Reign. Although Hardy primarily works with the defensemen, Clifford remembered the longtime NHL blueliner from his first training camp in LA and noted to us that the two share a similar philosophy on how the game should be played.

Frequent readers of MayorsManor probably remember Hardy called Clifford the MVP of Rookie Camp that first year and he gushed over the upside of the then 18-year old prospect, whom the Kings had selected in the second round of the NHL Draft a few months prior.

But why now and why Ontario (similar to the question we’ve asked nearly every member of the Kings who’s inked a deal elsewhere during the lockout)?  In response, Clifford repeatedly used the phrase ‘good fit.’ For him, that primarily meant two things – the proximity to LA (he wasn’t interested in going overseas, getting settled and then turning around to come back to the States should the lockout end) and it being a perfect match for his style of play.

The Kings’ third-year pro also noted that in places like Germany, teams are looking for “high-end, big name players to sell tickets.” Clifford understands that he’s early in his NHL career and hasn’t established the same reputation as guys like Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown.  Although other young Kings players – namely Alec Martinez and Jonathan Bernier – found offers in Europe, those teams had a specific need.

That’s all just fine and well with Clifford too. He was looking for a league that played a more physical style – “where they like to crash and bang bodies” – and with the AHL not being open to him, the ECHL was a natural landing spot.

While preparing to play his first competitive game since June, Clifford described his conditioning as “just fine” and credits the work he’s been putting in with a handful of other NHL players over the last two months at the Kings’ training facility in El Segundo. So, in preparation for his ECHL debut in San Francisco on Friday, he thinks he needs to work on getting his timing back more than anything else – something that he feels requires real game action, not just practice sessions and charity games.

Saturday night Clifford and the Reign will be in Bakersfield and then it’s back to Southern California for a few days off before he makes his home debut next Wednesday night vs. the Orlando Solar Bears.

If you’re looking for him on the ice, don’t expect to see him in his familiar number 13. That’s worn by Colton Yellow Horn and Clifford wasn’t about to ask him to give it up.

“I’m not that guy,” he said. “I’m not looking to come in here and bully my way around. That number was already taken and so was 23.  So, I just kept going up and now I’m working on getting 33.”

In typical Clifford fashion, he’s more concerned with what’s happening on the ice.

“I’m lucky enough to be part of a great situation here in Ontario.  I’m not that worried about my number.  We have a lot of good players on this roster, including Devin Setoguchi of the Wild and several other talented guys.  I’m just looking forward to getting out there and using my body to make plays and help the team in anyway I can.”

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Mark Hardy talks first impressions of Kyle Clifford

Jarret Stoll on Clifford – ‘Confidence is a scary thing sometimes’

Setoguchi explains why he joined the Reign

Clifford might have been the MVP of the NHLPA charity game

Breaking News: Kyle Clifford signs with the Ontario Reign

Filed Under: HockeyBlog, Interview, Kings, NHL, NHL Players, Spotlight Story Tagged With: Clifford, comments, ECHL, hockey, interview, Kings, Los Angeles, Mayor, MayorsManor, NHL, Ontario, Playoffs, quote, Reign, Setoguchi

About John Hoven

John Hoven is a former member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and co-hosts Kings of the Podcast. He's also the founder and editor of MayorsManor.com, which has been named Best Sports Blog in Los Angeles and Hockey Blog of the Year. Click "ABOUT OUR TEAM" below for a full bio.

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  1. Picture: Kyle Clifford on the ice for his Ontario Reign debut says:
    November 23, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    […] Kyle Clifford is leaving LA, taking his talents to Ontario – his first interview with the Reign […]

  2. Photo Gallery: Kyle Clifford’s first game with Ontario says:
    November 24, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    […] Kyle Clifford is leaving LA, taking his talents to Ontario – his first interview with the Reign […]

  3. Kyle Clifford scores in his second game with Ontario Reign says:
    November 25, 2012 at 3:41 pm

    […] Kyle Clifford is leaving LA, taking his talents to Ontario – his first interview with the Reign […]

  4. Antitrust, Distrust, Decertification & Detox From Diatribe…What Else is New? – Surly and Scribe's Stanley Cup Champion L.A. Kings Hockey News says:
    November 25, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    […] of The Mayor, read this article about Kyle Clifford joining the Ontario Reign. I have been to two Reign games this season. Shinny hockey but fun. Going again this Wednesday. You […]

  5. Exclusive video and comments – Kyle Clifford’s first ECHL goal says:
    November 28, 2012 at 8:42 am

    […] Exclusive – Clifford talks about why he signed with the Ontario Reign […]

  6. Photo Gallery: Kyle Clifford’s home debut for Ontario Reign says:
    November 30, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    […] Clifford leaving LA, taking his talents to Ontario – his first interview after signing in ECHL […]

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Kings Of The Podcast returns for another all-new episode, and this time around John Hoven and Dennis Bernstein are joined by LA prospect Jordan Spence. Some of the topics covered in this hour-plus KOTP edition include: — Mark Yannetti and the NHL Draft — Being born in Australia and relocating to Japan, then Canada — […]

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