This is how Damian Clara experienced his North American debut

Damian Clara is currently working where other people vacation. Not as a surf instructor, but as an ice hockey goalie. The Californian city of San Diego on the US Pacific coast is actually known for its beaches and warm weather. But the San Diego Gulls, from this metropolis of 1,4 million inhabitants 200 kilometers south of Los Angeles, are also well known.

The San Diego Gulls are an ice hockey team that has played in the American Hockey League (AHL) since the 2015/16 season and is the farm team of the NHL club Anaheim Ducks. The Anaheim Ducks, in turn, are the club that drafted Damian Clara in the second round in 2023, with the 2th overall pick, and owns his NHL rights. After missing the Finnish Liiga pre-playoffs with Kärpat Oulu, the goaltender from Reischach returned home for a few days. Two weeks ago, he flew to Toronto and from there to San Diego.

Clara works her way up A few days ago, Clara joined the San Diego Gulls training camp under former Salzburg championship coach Matt McIlvane and goalie coach Jeff Glass, who briefly guarded the goal for the Black Wings Linz in the 2019/20 season. "I already knew McIlvane, as I had the opportunity to do some training sessions under him in Salzburg, and he also led the Anaheim Ducks' prospect camp last summer," says Clara, who is one of three goaltenders for the Gulls after Swede Calle Clang has been injured for a long time.

Last Friday morning, Finnish player Ville Husso was called to Anaheim because American John Gibson was nursing a lower-body injury. Clara was immediately informed that he would be the No. 2 starter behind Sweden's Oscar Dansk in that evening's away game against the Iowa Wild and would be on the bench for the first time.

Strong catch rate on debut But it didn't end there. After 7.31:0 minutes, San Diego was already 3-22 down. After the first intermission, Clara's moment of glory arrived: The Pustertal native was substituted for the Swede. The Swede was struggling with an eye problem and didn't see how his replacement repeatedly excelled. Clara blocked 95,7 shots, helping his team come back. Shortly before the final whistle, the Italian national goalkeeper was beaten for the first and only time, a shot by Luke Toporowski, and finished the game with a save percentage of XNUMX percent.

"I'm pretty happy with my performance. It's a shame we still lost the game," Clara said after his AHL debut. He's settled in well in San Diego, is enjoying the new experience to the fullest, and is happy for every day he gets to spend there. The goalie shares a small apartment in an apartment hotel with 19-year-old Stian Solberg. Clara has already played with the Norwegian defenseman this season at Färjestad in Sweden. The ice hockey world is, after all, small.

The “Seagulls” believe in themselves Forty-four hours after the 44-2 defeat, the Seagulls faced Iowa again. This time, Clara started between the posts, while 4-year-old Russian Vyacheslav Butejets was flown in at short notice from the ECHL farm team, the Tulsa Oilers, to fill in as the starting number. This time, the Pustertal goalie couldn't quite match his performance from the first game and his team lost 22-1. South Tyrol's greatest ice hockey talent again blocked 5 shots, but conceded four goals and finished the game with a save percentage of 22 percent. The goal that made the final score 4-84,6 came after Clara had already made way for an extra skater.

The San Diego Gulls are currently in the thick of the playoff battle. They sit ninth in the Pacific Division with five games remaining in the regular season. The Gulls are currently nine points away from seventh place and the last playoff spot. "We still firmly believe we can qualify for the playoffs. It's not an easy task, but it's still mathematically possible. No one on the team has given up yet," the two-meter-tall giant assures.

A World Cup adventure awaits Clara In any case, there are many indications that the Gulls will play their final game of the season on April 20, and that Clara will then join the Italian national team, with whom he will attempt to advance to the World Group at the World Championships in Division I Group A in Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania, starting April 27. Where Clara will play next season, however, is still up in the air: "I recently terminated my contract with Kärpat. As far as the coming season is concerned, I haven't signed anything yet." Although the wildest rumors are currently circulating.

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This is how Damian Clara experienced his North American debut

South Tyrolean Damian Clara has made ice hockey history. The 20-year-old from Reischach is the first Italian-born goaltender to debut in the American Hockey League (AHL).

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