Draft prospects scout for options
Potential No. 1 Brandt Clarke sharpens game in Slovakia,
As a teenage defenceman with the Barrie Colts and one of the top prospects for this summer’s NHL entry draft, Brandt Clarke faced an uncertain future.
The coronavirus had shut down the Ontario Hockey League and he needed a place to play: to hone his game, to keep improving, to give himself the best opportunity possible to pursue his NHL dream.
After a couple of stops and starts, he found it. In Slovakia.
“Everything’s kind of flipped upside down and I kind of just tried to make the best of my scenario,” Brandt said in conversation with Pucks In Depth. “I feel like I need to play games in my NHL draft season.”
He has four goals and two assists in 21 games for Nove Zamky Mikron HC, playing against men in Slovakia’s top league.
“I’ve been here for just over two months now. It’s been fun. I’m happy I made this choice.”
Brandt just turned 18. He was initially joined by 19-year-old brother Graeme, who played six games before he returned to the American Hockey League’s Binghamton Devils. Graeme was drafted by New Jersey in 2019 and by rights should be back with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, if not for the pandemic.
Canada’s top young players are going wherever they can keep playing. Some are in the AHL, but many headed to Europe — a reverse influx, if you will. Usually the top Europeans come the Canadian major junior leagues in their draft year. This year, the opposite is true.
Kitchener centre Francesco Pinelli, another top-five prospects, is playing in the Alps Hockey League based in central Europe. Others overseas include Peterborough centre Mason McTavish (Switzerland), Flint forward Brennan Othmann (Switzerland) and Oshawa centre Brett Harrison (Finland).
Watching how Canadians play the game benefits European hockey, says Imre Valasek, Nove Zamky’s general manager.
“The difference is in commitment, ferocity, pressure on the goal and the determination to finish the match at full strength for the whole 60 minutes,” Valasek said.
For draft eligibles such as Clarke, the experience has been beneficial on and off the ice.
“Definitely better hockey than the OHL, mainly because guys are older and faster and stronger,” said Clarke, listed at sixfoot-one and 181 pounds. “They can also make plays at top speed. They’ve been around the game for a long time. It’s a lot harder.”
It’s one thing to lift a stick and take the puck off a 17-year-old, quite another to do it against a 10-year pro.
“You’ve got to get good body position,” said Clarke. “You’ve got to finish your checks. You’ve got to really work hard to battle in front of the net. They weigh a lot, so it’s been different. I think overall, it’s really good for development and for my future.”
Nove Zamky is a city of about 400,000, roughly 100 kilometres from Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital. The team seems to be following many of the same COVID protocols as the NHL, including frequent testing and advising players to stay to themselves when not at the rink.
Part of the initial appeal was the chance for the Nepeanborn Clarke brothers to play together. When Graeme left after six games, Brandt decided to stay, even though it meant having to cook for himself.
“I was never really a cook before it came over here, and even at the start Graeme would be my personal chef for me. I had it nice. But once he left, he left me a sheet of how long to leave stuff in the oven and how long to leave stuff on the stove.
“I’ve definitely matured a lot. I have kind of grown up, I guess you could say.”
Mom Trish and dad Chris have been helping long distance, Clarke added — calling and texting every day, and watching his games.
“They’ve done the best they could for being overseas halfway across the world,” he said. “My mom especially is counting down the days till I get back. She texts me that every day — like, “Only a month left’ and whatnot. They’ve been really supportive of me.”