Maple Leafs Longtime Veteran Announces Retirement

This veteran of over 750 NHL games, who accumulated 905 penalty minutes, has decided to hang up his skates.

Sep 24, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Kyle Clifford (43) checks Ottawa Senators center Mark Kastelic (12) in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images | Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

After 15 professional seasons, veteran enforcer Kyle Clifford is hanging up the skates, with 66-78-144 through 13 seasons over 753 games. Clifford is best known for his long tenure as a Los Angeles King.

According to the National Hockey League Players' Association, Clifford's attention will now shift to player development with the Toronto Maple Leafs, staying put in the city where he has spent the final three and a half seasons, split between the Leafs' AHL affiliate Marlies and the big club.

Kyle Clifford is hanging up his skates, but sticking with his hometown team.
 
Wishing the 2x Stanley Cup champion all the best as he transitions into a player developmental role with the @MapleLeafs front office! pic.twitter.com/JBP1scamyS

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) August 8, 2025

The 34-year-old Kitchener, Ontario native was originally drafted by the Kings in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft, with the 35th overall selection, and he made the most of his time with the club, helping them win Stanley Cup championships in 2011-12 and again in 2013-14.

Clifford's career will be remembered for his gritty, in-your-face style and his willingness to run through a wall for his team, and drop the gloves at a moment's notice with anybody who dared challenge his teammates. A glue guy in every sense, who dragged the team through the trenches.

His career 905 NHL penalty minutes are a testament to his toughness, but also his hard-as-nails, no-nonsense approach to the game, which has become a bit of a dying breed, with skilled, finesse players starting to fill in the gaps more and more in place of nightly fisticuffs.

Though the past two seasons of his career were spent in the AHL with the Marlies, Clifford was a prototypical enforcer/power forward who did his best work around the opposing net and meeting unlucky opponents along the boards with bone-crunching body checks, and a couple of chirps for good measure.

Apr 14, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford (43) fights with Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson (43) in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Maple Leafs know that it takes a special talent to remain in the NHL, especially for 13 seasons, while playing a fourth-line checking, shutdown role, which often gets filled by a journeyman, and that is precisely the kind of role model they want for their top prospects coming through the pipeline.

It also doesn't hurt that Clifford has two Stanley Cup rings and troves of experience winning at the highest level, while bringing a trademark rough and tumble style to every game, and frankly, every shift.

Clifford was proof that you don't have to be the most skilled, fastest skater or best shooter to get by in the NHL; you just have to play every shift like your life depends on it, and your efforts won't go unnoticed.

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