Wendel Clark

A star junior hockey defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, Clark was a member of Canada\'s gold medal winning team at the 1985 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.\n', ' Clark was converted to forward after he was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. Clark was known for his physical play and his offensive mind combined with scoring prowess. As tough as Clark was, his scoring touch and offensive ability was equal to his on-ice toughness. Clark\'s 227 PIM in his rookie season was the 1985-86 Toronto Maple Leafs team high, along with 34 goals which also led the team. After his rookie season, he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and finished third in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy.\n', ' The serious back injury that Clark suffered during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987, when he was cross-checked into the crossbar of his own goal, hindered his progress as an elite NHL player. Nonetheless, he was a crowd favourite at Maple Leaf Gardens and won a place in the hearts of Leaf fans as he provided a spark during the latter part of the Harold Ballard era, considered the darkest period in the storied franchise\'s history.\n', '