All roads lead home: Buffalo native Chase Clark and how hockey brought him back

By Mikayla Boyd, Editor-in-Chief

Chase Clark, a Williamsville, N.Y. native and Washington Capitals draft pick who joined the Canisius hockey team during the offseason, has found his way back home to finish out his collegiate hockey career. 

Clark’s hockey journey began in Pendleton, N.Y. with the Wheatfield Blades at seven years old. Since 2017, Clark has played on nine different teams before landing back in Buffalo at Canisius. Some of the leagues included the USHL, NCDC, GOJHL and OJHL. Clark started in a league where not many players were getting drafted, but said that “having belief in yourself and chasing your dream while continuing to work towards something that seems distant but is pretty close if you work hard,” has propelled him through the leagues. During his time in the OJHL from 2019-2020, he was a member of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, who play at the LECOM Harborcenter, across the street from the Sabres and also home to Canisius’ hockey team. 

During his summers at home, he practiced at the Harborcenter, training two to three times a week in the offseason “to build the craft and stay sharp for the season.” Since joining Canisius and calling Harborcenter home for good, Clark has posted a .926 save percentage, fourth-best in the AHA and 29.22 saves per game, which is second in the AHA.

Clark attributes part of his success to being back home: after being away from Buffalo for around six years, Clark notes, “Just to be able to have my friends and family come watch me play and support, that really means a lot to me.” Yet home itself is not the only aspect that drew Clark back to Buffalo, but the home he has found on the Canisius hockey team: “Another big part is the culture that Canisius men’s ice hockey team has through Trevor Large and the team here as well.”

Going forward, Clark is one of few NHL draft picks playing in the AHA. Despite possible pressure, he stays central to his main goal: “the main goal is to obviously win, and just go out there and do the best I can, try to be the best teammate as possible, and just try to win.”

Clark and the Canisius hockey team take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers on the road in Fairfield, Conn. on Friday, Nov. 14 and Saturday Nov. 15 before returning to the LECOM Harborcenter Friday Nov. 22 and Saturday Nov. 23, versus the Mercyhurst Lakers.

Chase Clark in goal for the Jr. Sabres (Photo courtesy of Spencer Smye)