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Former Wild Prospect Signs With SHL Club
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- Former Wild Prospect Signs With SHL Club
Former Minnesota Wild forward prospect Graeme Clarke is taking his career overseas.
Frölunda HC announced Tuesday that it has signed Clarke to a one-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 season. The 25-year-old will join one of the top organizations in the Swedish Hockey League.
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Clarke spent the 2024-25 season in the Wild organization after Minnesota acquired him from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Beckman in June 2024.
The right-shot forward never appeared in an NHL game for Minnesota, but played 64 games for the Iowa Wild, recording 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points.
Minnesota moved on from Clarke following that season, and he signed with the Washington Capitals organization. He began the 2025-26 campaign with the Hershey Bears, recording 15 goals and nine assists in 50 games before eventually landing with the Belleville Senators.
Clarke finished the season particularly well in Belleville, producing five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in just 15 games. Despite that strong finish, his next opportunity will come overseas.
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Frölunda sporting director Fredrik Sjöström described Clarke as an offensively gifted forward with strong hands and a good shot. While Clarke has primarily played on the wing, the club also noted that he has experience at center.
Clarke said he was pursued by multiple teams in different leagues before choosing Frölunda, which will compete in the SHL, Champions Hockey League and Spengler Cup this season.
Originally selected by New Jersey with the 80th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Clarke developed into a productive AHL scorer. His best season came in 2022-23 when he registered 25 goals and 58 points in 68 games with Utica.
He eventually earned his first NHL opportunity with the Devils during the 2023-24 season, appearing in three games. Those remain the only NHL games of his career.
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Clarke now heads to Sweden with an opportunity to establish himself in the SHL after parts of six seasons in the AHL.
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