It sounds like it’s just a matter of time before Ian Clark exits the Vancouver Canucks organization.
The Canucks goalie guru told the team this summer he was unable to work on-ice every day as he had done in the past, due to wear-and-tear on the 58-year-old’s body. But instead of finding a new goalie coach and allowing Clark to keep his title, like like the New York Rangers did with Benoit Allaire, Clark was demoted from director of goaltending to goalie scout in August.
Interesting juxtaposition between this, which was also health related for Allaire, who hadn’t travelled with team 100% for few years, and changes in Vancouver announced ~hour later as Canucks buck that trend towards directors and actually remove that title from Ian Clark https://t.co/MN7mqrVppT
— Kevin Woodley (@KevinisInGoal) August 21, 2024
Sounds like that may not be something Clark was thrilled about.
“I don’t think this relationship’s in a good state. I think it’s definitely soured,” Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal said on today’s edition of Donnie and Dhali. “There’s a lot of things at play here, and one is the demotion to goalie scout instead [of keeping him as the director of goaltending].”
“I don’t think this relationship is in a good state..”@DonTaylor5 and @DhaliwalSports chat about Ian Clark’s future with the #Canucks in our opening segment.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/q8p3bew0WV
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) September 27, 2024
The Clark situation is “starting to pick up a little bit of noise,” according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who mused about his potential exit from Vancouver on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
“I think that it’s known that Clark may move on, with the Canucks’ blessing,” said Friedman. “I think they’re not going to stand in the way here if an opportunity opens for him.”
Friedman mentioned the New Jersey Devils as a potential landing spot for Clark, which is a natural given his past success with their starting goalie, Jacob Markstrom.
Clark is one of the most experienced and respected goalie coaches in the NHL. His first stint with the Canucks organization was from 2002 to 2010, where he worked with Roberto Luongo.
The Vancouver native moved on to Columbus in 2011, overseeing Sergei Bobrovsky’s rise to stardom. Clark returned to Vancouver in 2019, working with Markstrom and Demko.
“Clarkie, he’s unbelievable. I owe probably just about everything to him,” Demko said of Clark back in 2021. “Obviously I’m putting in the work, but the way he’s guided me and mentored me, it’s been amazing.”
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