Damian Clara is moving to the AHL. © karpatofficial/Social Media

From Finland to the USA: Clara is needed

For Damian Clara, the European season ended in mid-March, but vacation is out of the question for the Reischacher. Instead, he's heading across the Atlantic to the USA.

05 April 2025

From: do

The Anaheim Ducks have ordered the young South Tyrolean goalkeeper Damian Clara from Kärpät (Finland) to join their AHL team, the San Diego Gulls. Clara had already hinted at a continuation of the season in a SportNews interviewAfter his season in Finland ended on the worst possible note: In the final regular season match against IFK Helsinki, his playoff dream was shattered with 28 seconds left. A misplaced pass from the 19-year-old led to a 1-2 defeat. Kärpät narrowly missed the playoffs.

Now, however, it's a new chapter and a new opportunity for Clara. In San Diego, he'll get used to the North American game—and potentially qualify for higher NHL opportunities. Just hours after arriving in San Diego, Clara made his AHL debut in a 2-4 loss to the Iowa Wild. Clara entered the ice in the second period with the score at 2-0 and subsequently posted a save percentage of 3 percent.

The Gulls have five games remaining in the AHL (American Hockey League) regular season. Clara's new team is currently in ninth place in the Pacific Division. The top seven teams qualify for the knockout round. Whether the Reischach native can still help his team decisively in the fight for the playoffs remains to be seen in the coming weeks.