Blueliner Clark named to face Russians

BRAMPTON, Ont. – The Brampton Battalion’s Matt Clark has been named to play in the first of two games in the Ontario Hockey League segment of the Canada-Russia Super Series.
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rDefenceman Clark, 19, is to play at Barrie on Nov. 19, it was announced Tuesday. The other game is at Windsor on Nov. 23.
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r“It’s one of the goals I’ve been working toward this season,” said Clark, who attended the Canadian national junior team’s August development camp at Saskatoon. “I’m going to go out there and try to do as well as I can and earn an invitation to the selection camp.”
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rEach of the Canadian Hockey League’s three member leagues hosts two games, with the CHL rosters made up of players eligible for the Canadian team which will compete in the World Junior Championship from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 at Saskatoon and Regina.
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r“I’m just happy to get a chance to get into a game. Every team needs a guy to stay back and protect the house. You always hear about the guys who can go end-to-end and put the puck in the net, but the other guys are just as important.”
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rThe OHL team is to be coached by Dave Cameron and Steve Spott, head coaches of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and Kitchener Rangers respectively, who are assistants on the Canadian squad under head coach Willie Desjardins of the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
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r“Guys like Spott and Cameron see us a lot in the OHL,” said Clark, who expects to see plenty of action when the Battalion hosts Kitchener at 7 p.m. Thursday. “Whenever you play those teams, it’s always in the back of your mind that one of the coaches might be watching.”
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rThe six-foot-four, 218-pound Clark has one goal and four assists for five points in 11 games.
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r“I’ve had some ups and downs this season. I’ve always prided myself on being a physical, stay-at-home defenceman, and there are a few plays I wish I could get back. I set a pretty high standard for myself. Defence is a huge part of our team this season, and I don’t want to let any of the guys down.”
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rClark was involved in two key plays in a 5-4 overtime loss Sunday to the visiting Niagara IceDogs. First, he was cited by referee Dave Lewis for closing a hand on the puck in the crease in the third period, resulting in a penalty shot on which Freddie Hamilton scored. Then Alex Friesen’s overtime goal deflected off Clark’s left skate.
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r“I was pretty upset with both plays,” said Clark. “I thought the referee made a mistake on that call, and the penalty shot ended up being a big part of the game. On the winning goal, I was just trying to get in the passing lane. That was a fluky, unfortunate thing but something I can fix with better positioning.”
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rClark, a resident of Campbellville, Ont., had three goals and 20 assists for 23 points in 63 games as a rookie last year. He was a second-round choice of the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League’s Entry Draft in June.
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r“It’s been a crazy year and a half for me. I’m enjoying it, and everything I accomplish means I have to work that much harder. It keeps getting tougher the higher you go. I can’t afford too many steps backwards. I have to keep moving forward.”
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rThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is to host the first two games of the Canada-Russia series in the Quebec centres of Drummondville and Shawinigan on Nov. 16 and 18 respectively. The WHL games are set for British Columbia, at Victoria on Nov. 25 and Kelowna the next night.
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rAll games are to be telecast nationally on Rogers Sportsnet.