Wild prospect Jimmy Clark scores his first Collegiate goal for the Gophers in Minnesota's 3-2 loss last night.
Jimmy Clark was drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 draft by the Minnesota Wild after putting up 47 points on 19 goals in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers.
The 6-foot forward played three years with Edina high school where he notched 39 goals and 79 points in 75 career games. Clark won the USHL Clark Cup after playing 13 regular season games with the Sioux City Musketeers.
Clark, 19, was going to go back to the USHL for his third season and second full season but the decision by Logan Cooley to turn pro left an open spot on the Gophers that Bob Motzko wanted to fill with a speedy scorer.
Beckett Hendrickson was an option to be brought over to the Gophers instead of playing in the USHL with Sioux Falls Stampede but Hendrickson didn't play a full season in the NTDP after a shoulder injury that kept him out of the lineup for awhile. This made Clark the more intriguing option coming off an impressive USHL season.
Now, Clark has started the season with the Gophers with a goal and an assist in six games. He was recently elevated to more ice-time last night when he was put on a line with Rhett Pitlick and Brody Lamb.
Last night the Gophers were trailing to Wisconsin in the third period before Pitlick passed the puck across the ice to Clark who stormed in and ripped home his first of the year.
"It's actually great," senior defender Carl Fish told the media on Clark getting his first goal. "I see that kind of stuff in practice and to see it translate into a game and see him get his first, it makes me pretty proud. To see how hard he works, he's been playing great this entire season so far, it's good to see he got rewarded tonight."
Like Fish said, it's great to see Clark get rewarded for his strong start to the season. The first five games of the year Clark played on a line with Charlie Strobel and John Mittelstadt and most nights that fourth line was the Gophers best line.
That line would get pucks deep into the zone and wear down the opposing defensemen with big hits and battles along the boards. But with the rest of the team struggling to get things going, Motzko put every line and a blender and Clark was one, along with Strobel, who got elevated to a higher role.
Clark's goal came early in the third period and tied the game at 2-2 but a late mistake by a young defenseman and Wisconsin went down and scored to take the lead 3-2 and eventually won the game.
“It was only a matter of time. I mean he’s just one of those guys, every day this kid’s got something and he’s gonna keep getting better,” Motzko said on Clark. “It was great he got rewarded. An assist last night, goal tonight… a lesson that if you play hard, good things are gonna happen. He’s got that gene, ‘I work hard every night,’ and he’s got the talent to go with it.”
One of the positives taken out of the game was Clark's first goal of the year. It will be interesting to see how the 19-year-old progresses as the season goes on. Clark's speed and creativity have been very impressive to watch so far which should make for a great season ahead.