Damian Clara was named Best Player in his World Championship debut against the Czechs.
photo: Matt Zambonin/IIHF
The future of Italian hockey is here—and, boy oh boy, is he big!
Goalie Damian Clara is a 6’6” (1.97m) giant in the crease. He is the first Italian ever selected in the NHL Entry Draft, going 60th overall to Anaheim in 2023, and he got to North America via Austria, Sweden, and Finland.
He had a breakout season with Brynas in 2023-24, after which he signed a contract with the Ducks. He split the next year with Sweden and Finland, and then made his pro debut with the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s farm team, towards the end of the season. This past year, Clara played mostly with Brynas again but also appeared in several games for the Gulls. He was later placed on the Anaheim playoff roster but did not see any game action.
Midway through the year, he was named one of the top six players for the Italians leading up to the Olympics in Milan, and once the tournament started, he proved his ability to play up.
Clara played in all four games for Italy and could not have done much more. Although he had a 5.13 GAA, which sounds unimpressive, consider that he posted a save percentage of .911. To wit, he was credited with the loss in the opening game against Sweden. Clara played the first two periods of the 5-2 score, but he stopped 46 of 49 shots.
Two days later, Clara played the third period against Slovakia, allowing one goal. Against Finland, the Italians were humbled, 11-0, and Clara gave up six goals in 40 minutes on 38 shots. His most impressive outing was his last. He played the full game in a 3-0 loss to Switzerland, stopping a whopping 48 of 51 shots along the way.
In all, Clara faced the second-most shots in the entire tournament and made the third-most saves. This on a team that went 0-4 and was nowhere near qualifying for the playoffs.
Of course, he accepted an invite to play at the World Championship here in Switzerland and made his debut against Czechia. In that game, he stopped an incredible 55 of 57 shots and was the main reason the Italians were leading 1-0 after two periods.
The only reason he didn’t start the tournament was a lack of preparedness after being in the AHL.
“It was a bit of a transition coming back to the big ice again and not having practised that much lately, so I had to clear my head and go in and just focus on the puck and play,” he explained. “I feel like I battled very hard. I think the defence helped me out as well and gave us a chance to compete in the game.”
A goalie has perhaps the most difficult adjustment to make moving from the small ice to big, or vice versa.
“It's a lot about perception and balance of the surroundings,” Clara explained. “When I step on the ice, it feels like a soccer field when you come from the small ice. You have to work on the angles, and make the players go laterally and get a better feeling of where the players are on the ice.”
Despite being named Best Player against the Czechs, Clara deflects much of the superstar praise. “I was just happy with getting a good start,” he demurred. “It's important to build on that for the rest of the game. But the guys helped me out, and I had some luck with me.”
As for his development, the 21-year-old is on a steep curve going up. “I've had some ups and downs this year, but if I compare myself last year at this time to this year at this time, I'm very happy with the steps I’ve taken, and I'm looking forward to continuing improving,” he said. “My time in North America showed me a lot about what I have to do to get better and take the next step.”
There is only one next step for him now, and that’s the NHL. He has played in lower-level IIHF events, the AHL, the Olympics, and now World Championships. His time with the Ducks will come, and it will be sooner rather than later. Yes, NHLers shoot harder and more accurately, but they are going to have to deal with an agile, big, and determined 21-year-old from Italy. You don’t hear that every day, but then again, Clara is special.
Goalie Damian Clara is a 6’6” (1.97m) giant in the crease. He is the first Italian ever selected in the NHL Entry Draft, going 60th overall to Anaheim in 2023, and he got to North America via Austria, Sweden, and Finland.
He had a breakout season with Brynas in 2023-24, after which he signed a contract with the Ducks. He split the next year with Sweden and Finland, and then made his pro debut with the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s farm team, towards the end of the season. This past year, Clara played mostly with Brynas again but also appeared in several games for the Gulls. He was later placed on the Anaheim playoff roster but did not see any game action.
Midway through the year, he was named one of the top six players for the Italians leading up to the Olympics in Milan, and once the tournament started, he proved his ability to play up.
Clara played in all four games for Italy and could not have done much more. Although he had a 5.13 GAA, which sounds unimpressive, consider that he posted a save percentage of .911. To wit, he was credited with the loss in the opening game against Sweden. Clara played the first two periods of the 5-2 score, but he stopped 46 of 49 shots.
Two days later, Clara played the third period against Slovakia, allowing one goal. Against Finland, the Italians were humbled, 11-0, and Clara gave up six goals in 40 minutes on 38 shots. His most impressive outing was his last. He played the full game in a 3-0 loss to Switzerland, stopping a whopping 48 of 51 shots along the way.
In all, Clara faced the second-most shots in the entire tournament and made the third-most saves. This on a team that went 0-4 and was nowhere near qualifying for the playoffs.
Of course, he accepted an invite to play at the World Championship here in Switzerland and made his debut against Czechia. In that game, he stopped an incredible 55 of 57 shots and was the main reason the Italians were leading 1-0 after two periods.
The only reason he didn’t start the tournament was a lack of preparedness after being in the AHL.
“It was a bit of a transition coming back to the big ice again and not having practised that much lately, so I had to clear my head and go in and just focus on the puck and play,” he explained. “I feel like I battled very hard. I think the defence helped me out as well and gave us a chance to compete in the game.”
A goalie has perhaps the most difficult adjustment to make moving from the small ice to big, or vice versa.
“It's a lot about perception and balance of the surroundings,” Clara explained. “When I step on the ice, it feels like a soccer field when you come from the small ice. You have to work on the angles, and make the players go laterally and get a better feeling of where the players are on the ice.”
Despite being named Best Player against the Czechs, Clara deflects much of the superstar praise. “I was just happy with getting a good start,” he demurred. “It's important to build on that for the rest of the game. But the guys helped me out, and I had some luck with me.”
As for his development, the 21-year-old is on a steep curve going up. “I've had some ups and downs this year, but if I compare myself last year at this time to this year at this time, I'm very happy with the steps I’ve taken, and I'm looking forward to continuing improving,” he said. “My time in North America showed me a lot about what I have to do to get better and take the next step.”
There is only one next step for him now, and that’s the NHL. He has played in lower-level IIHF events, the AHL, the Olympics, and now World Championships. His time with the Ducks will come, and it will be sooner rather than later. Yes, NHLers shoot harder and more accurately, but they are going to have to deal with an agile, big, and determined 21-year-old from Italy. You don’t hear that every day, but then again, Clara is special.