Tragedy strikes former Leafs fan favourite Wendel Clark

Former Toronto Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks forward Wendel Clark was one of the most feared players of his generation. Clark was a true power forward before the term even existed, equally adept at beating you with his fists or with his skill. 

He put up a remarkable 330 goals and 564 points to go along with his 1690 penalty minutes in 793 career games. Leafs fans especially hold a fondness for Clark, who served as the team’s captain from 1991 until 1994. But Clark had no fan bigger than brother Donn Clark, who cheered on his younger brother whenever he managed to catch a game. 

Donn, just 56 years old, tragically passed away this past weekend after a courageous battle with cancer:

Donn, a longtime executive in the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades organizations, was also a fine player back in the day even if he didn’t quite put up the lofty numbers that his brother managed.

“When you looked at him, what you see is what you got,” said former Blades general manager Daryl Lubiniecki after hearing of Donn's passing. “He was a real honest guy. I’m sorry to see him go, really.”

“As a player, when he played for me, he was a very sturdy defenceman,” recalled Lubiniecki. “He wasn’t flashy like Wendel or a hard worker like Kerry, but he was very sturdy and reliable on the blue line."

“He turned out to be a very good coach. He never complained about anything. I’ll miss him. He was a pretty good guy.”

RIP to Donn Clark and our condolences to the entire Clark family during this tough time.