NHL History: Today in 1985, Toronto Maple Leafs draft Wendel Clark

Today in 1985, the Toronto Maple Leafs used their first overall pick to select Wendel Clark.

Clark was drafted out of the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades where in his draft year he scored 32 goals and 87 points in 64 games to go along with 253 PIM as a defenceman. Joining the Leafs, however, he was converted to a forward.

In his rookie season, he lead the Leafs in goals potting 34 and PIM with 227 finishing second in the Calder trophy race behind Gary Suter.

He had a storied career in the NHL playing 793 games spanning a 15-year career. The bulk of his time, 608 games to be exact, was played with the Leafs.

A consistent contributor on the scoresheet, Clark mixed it up often amassing 1535 PIM over his career. He was named the captain of the Leafs in 1991, a title he held until 1994.

In one of the biggest trades of the 1990s, Clark was dealt alongside Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson and a 1994 1st round pick (22nd overall, Jeff Keatly) to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for Mats Sundin, Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and a 1994 first round pick (10th overall, Nolan Baumgartner).

Clark was later reacquired in 1996 when he was with the New York Islanders.

He retired a member of the Leafs in 2000.

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