Brandt Clarke “excited” to be a part of the Rookie Faceoff, with bigger goals in the plan

Last season, Brandt Clarke entered training camp ready to push for a spot on the NHL roster.

An unfortunate injury to his shoulder, occurring during the 2023 NHL Rookie Orientation, put him on the backfoot entering training camp, as he missed out on the team’s trip to Australia and ultimately found himself starting the season at the AHL level after missing the first week or so of camp.

Dating back two years prior, Clarke was set to head to Arizona to skate in his first Rookie Tournament before an ill-timed bout with mononucleosis prevented him from attending and participating.

In the fall of 2024, it’s Clarke’s fourth season of eligibility as an NHL rookie. It’s set to be just his second Rookie Faceoff, however. With a clean bill of health heading in and expectations stretching well beyond just this weekend, Clarke is ready to roll.

“There’s been some unfortunate hiccups, like right before camp in past years, but I feel the best I’ve ever felt right now and that’s the right time to be peaking, like right at the end of the summer,” Clarke said after today’s Rookie Faceoff practice. “I feel my body’s in the best shape it’s ever been so I’m really happy with how everything’s going so far, I’ve been happy with where I’m at physically and I’m sure excited for the rest of camp.”

With that good feeling came a desire to play games.

With Clarke, he’s forecasted to achieve bigger things this season than this weekend. The question among many Kings fans surrounded why even have him attend the Rookie Faceoff, with Clarke expected to not just challenge for a roster spot but claim one. It’s understandable, considering Clarke’s status, but also not without precedent. Quinton Byfield and Jordan Spence both played playoff games in 2022 and were in San Jose for the Rookie Faceoff that fall.

Still, the question was there.

For Clarke, though, there was no question. He was ready, eager and willing to get his camp rolling underway early and seemed excited to get the chance to suit up tomorrow evening.

“Some people could see it as, you know, surprised or felt that I have to do this, but I did not take it like that once, I was excited,” Clarke said. “I get to play games before camp, that’s all I’ve been itching to do for the past like month or so. I even told my dad, I just want to get back to playing games. It’s a long summer, and I just have an itch to get back out there.”

From talking with both Clarke and Head Coach Marco Sturm, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Clarke in all three games this weekend. We might see him just the one time, though he is expected to play in Game 1.

For the player, it’s two-fold.

He’s looking forward to working his way back into game action, for sure, but he’s also playing with the guys he came into the system with, guys he went to development camp with, guys around his age and guys who he’s excited to play with.

“The fact I get to play a game or two before the camp starts, it’s exciting,” he added. “I get to be around these guys, I still have a lot of close friends on this team from the Reign last year, so it’s going to be a fun process, and we’re riding into camp. “Then it’s going to get even more fun and I’m looking forward to it.”

In speaking with Sturm, it’s clear how highly he thinks of his young defenseman.

Among the players in camp, Sturm noted that Clarke is perhaps among the least important to evaluate. He’s a known quantity for the Kings and regardless of how he performs in the Rookie Faceoff, the Kings still have eyes for Clarke to be with the big club. The assignment for Clarke, perhaps, is a bit different as well.

He’s used to being the youngest player on the roster. Whether it was with the Kings or the Reign last season, Clarke was the rookie. The kid. The guy looking up to others for leadership and guidance. At an event like this, though, it’s a different group. Though he’s just 21, Clarke is the only player on the roster with NHL experience and one of the only guys with a full professional season of any kind under his belt. That’s something the Kings would like him to take and help guide others at the camp who are perhaps less experienced.

“I think the focus will be probably more a little bit on other guys for this weekend, but I just want him to take charge, not just on the ice, off the ice, be a leader,” Sturm said of Clarke. “He’s still young, but he’s not a young, young kid anymore and I want him to grow as a person as well. So that’s so important too.”

Sturm went on to praise the offseason that Clarke had, pointing to his workouts and performance away from the ice as an area of growth. Clarke expressed that he felt his summer was a good one, adding muscle and coming into camp ready to go.

As a player, though, is where he will ultimately be judged. As his head coach for the bulk of last season, Sturm exuded praise for his young defenseman, backing him to make it happen with the Kings this season.

“He’s an exciting player, we all know that and we all hope and believe that he will be in the Kings lineup Game 1,” Sturm said. “ He looks really good, he looks like he put some weight on and he worked really hard this summer. [In] rookie camp, the game or two he will play, it’s different, he’s going to play against more like kids than NHL guys. I think. I think it should be a good warmup for him, but of course, show what he’s got against some really good talent. But, as soon as the Kings start training camp Day 1, he has to be the guy, right? And he’s got to show it right away and if there’s one guy who can do it, I think it’s going to be him.”

If there’s one guy who can do it, it certainly would be Clarke.

With Game 1 tomorrow, number 92 is preparing himself to play in that game, though beyond that is unsure. As Sturm indicated, results in this game are not paramount for Clarke, who will join the main group for training camp once it gets underway next week. The good thing is that Clarke is approaching these games the right way, as an opportunity. It’d be easy for a player in his situation to look past these games, or to simply not want to play in them. It looks as if Clarke is taking this tournament the right way, with the right attitude and approach.

When he gets in, we’ll expect his best. When he’s done, we’ll expect a player ready to come to main camp on a mission. If Sturm is to be believed, he’s ready for that mission to lead to the NHL.