Former Senator And Ottawa Native Signs New Deal In Sweden

Graeme Clarke wasn’t a Senator for long last season, but he did enough in Belleville for fans to think he might earn a longer look.

At the NHL trade deadline back in March, the Senators acquired the Ottawa native from the Washington Capitals for forward Wyatt Bongiovanni. Clarke was a 2024 AHL All-Star who had back-to-back 25-goal seasons for Utica.

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He found out about the deal a minute before the deadline passed.

At the club’s annual golf tourney this week, Thomas Chabot was asked about the Sens captaincy.

“I get a call in a hotel room that I’m traded to Ottawa, and it was amazing,” Clarke told TSN 1200 this week. “Like, I grew up going to Sens games as a kid, wearing Alfie’s jersey and all this stuff.

“So just that, that itself was super cool.”

Clarke was clearly energized by a chance to maybe play for his hometown team. He rolled into Belleville and immediately put up seven points in his first two games. He also credited a return to the centre-ice position, which he says he hasn’t played for a couple of years, and relying more on his instincts.

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Clarke closed the season with impressive AHL totals (19 points in 15 games), but despite that, he wasn’t able to find a deal with an NHL organization this summer, at least not one he liked enough to sign.

So for Clarke, an Ottawa kid who grew up cheering for Daniel Alfredsson, he didn’t get to play for Alfie’s NHL team, but he will get to play for Alfie’s old Swedish team.

Frölunda HC announced this week that it has signed Clarke to a one-year contract for the coming season. That club produced both Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson, probably the finest two players in modern Senators history.

“I’ve only heard good things about the club and the fans,” Clarke said. “Frölunda is one of the best teams in Europe, with a clear goal of winning. I’ve also gotten a good impression of Gothenburg as a city. This will be exciting.”

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Clarke does have a little experience in Europe. He and his younger brother, Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke, briefly played in Slovakia during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. Graeme also represented Canada at the Spengler Cup last December and will compete in the event again this year, this time with his Swedish team.

Clarke wasn’t part of Ottawa’s NHL organization for long, but his Ottawa hockey roots run deep. He not only played AAA hockey here, but he also played for three years with the OHL’s Ottawa 67s.

At 25, Clarke’s NHL hopes aren’t necessarily over. A productive season in one of Europe’s best leagues could put him back on the radar of North American teams.

For now, being on the same path as the Senators’ greatest player isn’t a bad place to be.

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By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:

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