Height: 6’1”

Weight: 180 Pounds

Date of birth: October 13, 1999

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 6, 115^th overall, 2015 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 28th North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Ottawa 67’s Kody Clark. Current OHL’er. Future NHL’er. Son of Wendel.

Those are some big skates to fill. The elder Clark was the first overall pick in 1985 and finished third in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s top rookie. He went on to have an excellent career finishing with 330 goals, 234 assists and 1690 penalty minutes in 793 games. That’s a tough (no pun intended) act to follow for the younger Clark who, if we are being realistic, will have to forge out his own career.

Clark played his minor midget hockey with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2014-2015 season. He scored 11 goals and 29 assists for the Marlboros and won the OHL Cup with them while posting 3 assists in 7 games.

The 67’s would select Clark with the 115^th pick at the 2015 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

The following season saw Clark play for St. Andrew’s College. In 13 regular season games he posted 4 goals and 10 assists. He helped St Andrews capture the CISAA (Conference of Independent School’s Athletic Association) Championship with 3 goals and an assist in 4 games.

Clark broke into the OHL a year ago and appeared in 57 games for the 67’s. He would score 7 goals and 4 assists in those contests. This season saw Clark break out offensively. Through 49 games, he has 18 goals and 18 assists.

So, what does Clark Bring to the ice?

He plays a very good two-way game with a solid work ethic in all three zones. Like his father before him, he plays with some grit and is always willing to finish his checks without going out of his way to do so. Adding bulk to his 180-pound frame will only make him more fearless.

While he doesn’t have his father’s superb shot, he does have an excellent shot and release of his own. His skating is a work in progress – more specifically, strength on his skates. He has no hesitation in driving the net with or without the puck. Once he gets stronger and his skating continues to improve, he could become a force that is hard to contain.

Clark is also excellent in puck possession skills and probably one of the harder players to strip the puck from in this class. He controls and protects the puck like a seasoned NHL veteran. He plays an excellent cycle game as well. His playmaking skills need some improvement. I think he’ll always be a power forward with a shoot-first mentality. And with his shot, why not?

Kody Clark stat page from Elite Prospects