Style, skill, and swagger are three defining traits when it comes to describing Barrie Colts defenseman Brandt Clarke. The 6-foot-2 right-shot defenseman has put the entire Barrie Colts team on his back since being sent down to the OHL in early January.
In 31 games played with the Colts, Clarke’s stat line is absurd. He has recorded 23 goals and 38 assists for a total of 61 regular season points. In six playoff games thus far, he has recorded six goals and 12 assists for a total of 18 playoff points. To say that Brandt Clarke is dominating his opposition would be an understatement.
Rob Blake hit the jackpot by drafting Brandt Clarke with the 8th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Clarke was 18 at the time when he signed his entry-level contract for three years, worth $5.325 million dollars. Now, he is 20 years old and playing in the Ontario Hockey League primarily because in January, the Kings didn’t have many available minutes at the NHL level and they couldn’t send him down to the AHL because of the CHL-NHL agreement. More on that agreement can be found in this article.
With an average age of 18 in the OHL, it makes sense that Brandt Clarke is dominating night in and night-out for Barrie. But, the level of his dominance far exceeds any age gap. The former first-round pick has been the main storyline for the Colts since returning to the OHL and now they are in the second round of the playoffs, in large part due to his contributions.
Brandt Clarke led the Barrie Colts over the Hamilton Bulldogs in six games to advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they face the North Bay Battalion.
Clarke opened up the series between these two teams with an absolute heater as he recorded six points in Game 1 of the series. That particular game ended in a Colts’ 10-2 thumping of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Not to mention of those six points was a Michigan Goal.
One of Brandt Clarke’s six primary points tonight was also a Michigan goal. pic.twitter.com/acyL1TbKuf
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 31, 2023
His skill and swagger resurfaced last night against the North Bay Battalion, in which he skated around a defender and celebrated by blowing a kiss to the opposing crowd.
Who else but Brandt Clarke? 🤷 @OHLBarrieColts
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 15, 2023
The @LAKings prospect dances around the defender and ties it before blowing the away fans a kiss 😘#OHLPlayoffs | #NBvsBAR pic.twitter.com/nYHPrt3Xwk
That goal tied the game at 2-2 and would help send the game into overtime. Josh Kavanagh would go on to score the game-winning goal for the Colts in overtime, earning himself the first star of the game.
However, that opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without Brandt Clarke’s massive goal and his equally memorable celebration. Selfishly, the Kings would love for the Colts’ season to be over, so that he could be available to suit up for LA. But, at the same time, it seems like he is having the time of his life dominating at an incredibly high level in the OHL.
There is most certainly more to come from the highly-skilled defenseman.
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