Axemen alumni Clark gets call up to Bridgeport of the AHL

Forward Andrew Clark has been called up to the AHL for the first time in his career by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Stockton, Calif. – The Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Stockton Thunder’s AHL affiliate, have signed Thunder forward Andrew Clark to a Professional Try-Out contract (PTO) Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Rich Kromm announced Thursday. It’s Clark’s first career call-up to the AHL. 

The move comes days after Clark, 25, was named the Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week for his performance registering 8 points in 2 games. Clark leads the Thunder in all three major scoring categories with 10 goals, 16 assists and 26 points. Clark also leads the team in multi-goal games with three as well as in shots on goal with 77.

“He definitely deserves a call-up and a chance to show what he can do,” said Kromm. “He’s played in every situation for us and has been a key guy for us. Obviously, he had a big weekend last weekend, so a well deserved opportunity for Andrew.”

Clark’s big weekend boosted him to seventh in the league for most points this season. The Brandon, Manitoba native also leads the league in points and assists by a rookie player. To top it off, Clark’s 5-point outing against the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday ties him for most points by a player in a single game this season with Alaska’s Peter Sivak.

A former junior player with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, Clark also spent four-years at Acadia University in the CIS where he won the 2012 “Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy” awarded to the CIS player of the year, in his junior season. After graduating, he joined the Thunder late in the 2012-13 regular season putting up 5 points in 4 games before helping lead the team to the Kelly Cup Final as the Thunder’s second-leading scorer.

Clark has spent this season as the Thunder’s top-line center, and the loss of the 5’11” 186-pound forward leaves a big hole in the line-up for coach Kromm to fill.

“It’s exciting for all of us to see guys get opportunities, but now we have to have other people step into different roles and the lines will get juggled a little bit.” Kromm said. “It’s an opportunity for other players as always to get more chances and play in situations that they maybe haven’t been playing in.”