Damian Clara in an interview. © Vanna Antonello

Damian Clara: From the other side of the world to the World Cup

Italy's national ice hockey team had just finished their first game at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Fribourg on Saturday when the Italian Ice Hockey Federation (FISG) dropped a bombshell: Damian Clara has been added to the World Championship roster. The player from Reischach spoke to SportNews about the turbulent few days.

18 May 2026

From Fribourg

When his Swedish team, Brynäs, was eliminated from the playoffs in early April, Damian Clara was called up to North America by the Anaheim Ducks. The 21-year-old initially expected only a short stay, but ended up spending over a month and a half in California. He first played five AHL games for the San Diego Gulls, and later served as the Ducks' third-string goalie. "My plan was always to come to Fribourg afterward, since I've never played in a top-level World Championship," the South Tyrolean explained in the media tribune after the 1-4 loss to Slovakia.

Since the Ducks reached the second round, Clara had to be patient. It wasn't until after their elimination last Thursday that the Californians granted him permission to leave. Meanwhile, the final discussions with the club and the medical tests the goalie had to undergo went entirely smoothly. And so Clara arrived in Switzerland on Saturday during the third period of the Canada game. He would have been available to play against Slovakia the following day, but after the long journey from California, that was out of the question for Clara.

Damian Clara and goalkeeping coach Thomas Tragust. © Vanna Antonello

“I haven’t trained in a while,” explained the South Tyrolean. The reason: In NHL practices, there are only ever two goalies on the ice at any one time. Clara, however, rewound. isolated units with the Ducks But it's been almost a month since his last game with the Gulls. "I need to get back on my feet, find my rhythm again, because I haven't seen many game situations in training either."

Melatonin tablets for emergencies

With goaltending coach Thomas Tragust, as well as Ivan Deluca and Nicolò Mansueto, who had to watch the first two games from the stands, Clara took to the ice for the first time on Sunday evening. However, it remains completely unclear who will be in goal for Tuesday's third group game against Norway – especially since Davide Fadani and Jacob Smith made a very strong impression in the first two matches. "First and foremost, I'm very grateful that the coaching staff called me up. If I get to play, I'd be very happy," said Clara, who also has to adapt to the larger European ice surface. "It's definitely an adjustment. But I'm trying not to overthink it and just get on with it."

"The problem is falling asleep." Damian Clara

The day off on Monday comes at just the right time for South Tyrol's star player, given the nine-hour time difference between Anaheim and Fribourg. "So far, I'm managing the jet lag pretty well. The next few days will certainly be tougher, though. The problem is falling asleep, but if necessary, I can always resort to melatonin tablets," the 21-year-old concluded with a grin.