Damian Clara

Damian Clara
Born (2005-01-13) 13 January 2005
Bruneck, Italy
Height 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 97 kg (214 lb; 15 st 4 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team (P)
Cur. team
Former teams		 Anaheim Ducks
San Diego Gulls (AHL)
Färjestad BK
Brynäs IF
Oulun Kärpät
National team  Italy
NHL draft 60th overall, 2023
Anaheim Ducks
Playing career 2022–present

Damian Clara (born 13 January 2005) is an Italian professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 60th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2023 NHL entry draft. He is the first Italian player to be selected in the NHL entry draft.[1]

Playing career

At age 15, Clara played at the Red Bull Hockey Academy in Salzburg, Austria, for two years before joining Färjestad BK's under-20 program in 2022. During the 2022–23 season with Färjestad's under-20 team, he played 35 games and recorded a 17–17–0 record with a 2.79 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.[2][3]

On 29 June 2023, Clara was drafted 60th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2023 NHL entry draft.[4][5]

Clara was loaned to Brynäs IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan for the 2023–24 season, where he played 34 games posting a 25–8–0 record with a 2.23 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. In the playoffs, he went 10–1 with a 1.68 goals against average and a .931 save percentage en route to a promotion for Brynäs IF to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).[6]

On 3 June 2024, Clara signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks,[7] but was loaned back to Färjestad BK for the 2024–25 season.[8][2]

Clara was the backup goaltender behind Maxime Lagacé for Färjestad BK throughout the 2024–25 SHL season.[2] He played 21 games and had a 9–10–0 record with a 3.19 goals against average and a .878 save percentage. On 14 February 2025, Clara's contract with Färjestad BK was terminated at the recommendation of the Anaheim Ducks, who had his National Hockey League (NHL) rights.[2] On 15 February, he signed with Oulun Kärpät of the Finnish Liiga for the rest of the 2024–25 Liiga season.[9][10] After Kärpät's season ended, the Anaheim Ducks assigned Clara to the San Diego Gulls, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, where he played two games and went 0–1–0 with a 3.15 goals against average and a .898 save percentage.[11][12]

Clara played most of the 2025–26 season with Brynäs IF, but was assigned to the San Diego Gulls to start three regular season games and two Calder Cup playoff games. On 26 April 2026, after the Gulls had been eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs, Clara was called up to the Anaheim Ducks as a black ace for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.[13] He didn't play a game for the Ducks as they were eliminated in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights.[14][15]

International play

Clara first played internationally at the 2021 World Championship for Italy, becoming the youngest goaltender to dress at the World Championship.[11][16] He represented Italy in Division 1B (third level) of the 2022 World U18 Championship where he played four games and had a 2–2 record with a 3.02 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. Later in the same season, he played for Italy in Division 2A (fourth level) of the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship where he played three games recording a 2–0 record with a 1.20 goals against average and a .942 save percentage. In 2023, he played in three tournaments for Italy; the World U18 Championship, World Junior Championships and World Championship. Italy played in Division 1B for the World U18s and World Juniors, and in Division 1A for the World Championship. Clara played for Italy in both the 2024 IIHF World Championship Division 1A (second level) and the 2025 IIHF World Championship Division 1A, where Italy was promoted to the top division for the 2026 tournament.[17][18][19]

On 16 June 2025, Clara was one of the first six players selected to represent Italy in the 2026 Winter Olympics as the host nation.[20] In Italy's opening game against Sweden, Clara made 46 saves before leaving with an injury in the third period of an eventual 5–2 loss.[21] Clara played in three more games for the hosts, who were eliminated by Switzerland in the first round of the knockout stage.[22]

After the Anaheim Ducks were eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, Clara joined Italy at the 2026 IIHF World Championship. Clara made his top-division debut against Czechia on 20 May, where he made 55 saves on 57 shots, holding the Czechs to no goals in the first two periods in an eventual 3–1 loss.[23][24]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLT/OTMINGASOGAASV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
2021–22 Red Bull Hockey Juniors AlpsHL 110060303.00.893 ————————
2022–23 Färjestad BK J20 35171702,0659602.79.903 202119904.54.883
2022–23 BIK Karlskoga HA 2110120502.50.935 ————————
2023–24 Brynäs IF HA 3425801,9377242.23.913 111016791901.68.930
2024–25 Färjestad BK SHL 2191009985313.19.879 ————————
2024–25 Färjestad BK J20 211098603.67.878 ————————
2024–25 Oulun Kärpät Liiga 103705792412.49.910 ————————
2024–25 San Diego Gulls AHL 201095503.15.898 ————————
2025–26 Brynäs IF SHL 33171501,9298122.52.887 211126502.38.864
2025–26 San Diego Gulls AHL 31201781204.04.868 202118703.57.877
SHL totals 54262502,92713432.75.884 211126502.38.864
Liiga totals 103705792412.49.910 ————————

International

Year Team Event Result GPWLT/OTMINGASOGAASV%
2022 Italy U18 D1B 3rd 42202391203.02.906
2022 Italy WJC D2A 1st 3200149311.20.942
2023 Italy U18 D1B 3rd 4310240511.25.954
2023 Italy WJC D1B 3rd 53203031302.58.917
2023 Italy WC D1A 3rd 2200120502.50.898
2024 Italy WC D1A 3rd 4220241902.24.904
2025 Italy WC D1A 2nd 100039203.06.818
2026 Italy OG 12th 40401521305.13.911
2026 Italy WC 11th 30301791003.35.921
Junior totals 1610509313322.13.926
Senior totals 144907313903.20.909

References

  1. ↑ "Three Ducks Named to Preliminary 2026 Olympics Rosters". NHL.com. 16 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ducks Goalie Prospect Damian Clara Leaves Swedish Team – Headed to AHL?". Yahoo Sports. 14 February 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  3. ↑ "Damian Clara Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "Ducks Select Goaltender Clara with 60th Overall Pick". NHL.com. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Anaheim Ducks Select Eight Players In Second Day Of 2023 NHL Draft". sandiegogulls.com. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  6. ↑ O'Brien, Derek (24 April 2024). "Brynäs back in SHL, eyeing NHL/AHL talent". The Hockey News. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Ducks Sign Goaltender Clara to Entry-Level Contract". NHL.com. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  8. ↑ O'Brien, Derek (3 June 2024). "Damian Clara signs in Anaheim, but he's almost certainly going back to Sweden". The Hockey New. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  9. ↑ O'Brien, Derek (15 February 2025). "Confirmed: Ducks Goalie Prospect Damian Clara Signs In Finland". The Hockey News. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  10. ↑ Airio, Riikka (15 February 2025). "Damian Clara ja Julius Janhonen loppukauden sopimuksilla Kärppiin!". Oulun Kärpät (in Finnish). Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Ducks Recall Husso, Assign Clara to AHL San Diego | Anaheim Ducks". NHL.com. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "Damian Clara". sandiegogulls.com. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  13. ↑ "Ducks' Damian Clara: Summoned from AHL". CBS Sports. 26 April 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Anaheim Ducks 2025-26 NHL Postseason Goaltending Stats". espn.com. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (15 May 2026). "Marner delivers again as Golden Knights finish off Ducks in 6". espn.com. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Summons". Italia Hockey (in Italian). Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  17. ↑ "Damian Clara - Stats, Contract, Salary & More". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  18. ↑ "Nazionale senior, gli Azzurri battono la Romania e volano in Top Division". Italia Hockey (in Italian). 3 May 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  19. ↑ Amoia, Danielx (3 May 2025). "Italy Promoted to Top Level of IIHF World Championships - The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  20. ↑ "Giochi Olimpici Invernali Milano Cortina 2026: la FISG annuncia i primi 6 giocatori della Nazionale maschile di hockey su ghiaccio". Italia Hockey (in Italian). 16 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  21. ↑ Cotsonika, Nicholas J. (12 February 2026). "Team Italy makes early Olympic statement in loss to Team Sweden". NHL.com. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  22. ↑ Present, Patrick (18 February 2026). "Ducks at the Winter Olympics: Gudas, Dostal Advance with Czechia, Clara Eliminated with Italy". The Hockey News. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  23. ↑ Podnieks, Andrew (20 May 2026). "Czechs top mighty Clara". IIHF.com. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "IIHF - CZE - 2026 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - Game Centre Statistic". IIHF.com. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
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