Blake Clarke, seen here during action on Sunday, November 17th, when the Battalion hosted the Barrie Colts. It was Clarke's first game at home after recovering from a frustrating shoulder injury. Photo by Lisa Hackett.
It may be hard to believe, but in three months the North Bay Battalion’s top NHL draft prospect, Blake Clarke, has only played one game at North Bay Memorial Gardens this season.
The Wildwood, Missouri product spent most of October and November on the injury list after a rotator cuff injury at a CCM/USA Hockey All American Prospects game in Pittsburgh in September.
The 6’1”, 190-pound forward began the Ontario Hockey League season with high hopes, but the injury has meant a modest start with just one goal and one assist start in 11 games.
Clarke, 17, is touted as a can’t-miss NHL draft prospect and was ranked in the Top 10 by the International Scouting Services in September. He has since slipped to 13th.
TSN Draft columnist Craig Button has Clarke slotted 37th in his mid-November rankings.
Clearly absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder when it comes to ranking hockey players.
“He’s probably best not to look at it at all. I know he’s a pretty mature kid and I know he had some great expectations coming in here and everything hasn’t worked out right off the bat,” said Battalion assistant coach John Goodwin, who works with the forwards.
Goodwin knows a little bit about offence. He recorded 166 points with the OHL’s Greyhounds in the early 1980’s.
“This lists that come out are just one person or person’s opinion and if the team likes you in that slot then they are going to draft you,” says Goodwin.
“He has to get back to basics, driving the net hard which he will, he’s coming off a pretty significant injury and it’s taking a while to get better so he’ll be fine, he just needs a few games under his belt.”
Clarke has been working hard to become a better player and he’s using his doubters as fuel to play even harder.
“I look at it more of an incentive type of thing, I was there over the summer, I was there last year and I’m still the same person,” said Clarke.
“I worked hard over the summer, I’m a better player than I was last year and that just lets me know that I’ve got the talent to do it and I just need to put it all together and work hard. “
Perhaps an indication of that was his highlight reel game-winning shootout goal on Barrie Colts’ netminder Daniel Gibl in Saturday’s 2-1 win in Barrie.
“I think right now it’s just confidence with the puck. You miss five weeks of game action, I came back a game and it seemed so fast but as the game progressed I started to settle down. I’m trying to make smarter plays, not panicking as much so once I get that confidence level back I will be set.”
The Battalion host the Ottawa 67’s Thursday, Nov. 28 at Memorial Gardens at 7 p.m.
