"1 of a kind!": Mitch Marner pens heartfelt message as ex-teammate Kyle Clifford draws the curtains to his 13-year NHL career

This week, veteran forward Kyle Clifford announced his retirement from the NHL after a 13-season career in the league. He will be transitioning into a player development role with the Toronto Maple Leafs front office.

Following the announcement, Vegas Golden Knights forward and ex-Leaf Mitch Marner took to Instagram to repost a tribute graphic from the NHLPA’s account on his stories. Marner added a heartfelt message to Clifford in the caption.

“1 of a kind! Congrats big man!!”

The two shared the ice as teammates in Toronto during Clifford’s time with the Leafs and AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies.

“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!” read the caption of the original post.

In his final season, Clifford skated with the Toronto Marlies, tallying eight points in 17 games. There he played in a top-six forward role, while also being a veteran presence in the locker room.

This year, Clifford has been a regular participant in development camps, working closely with Toronto’s up-and-coming talent. As recently as early July, he was seen on the ice alongside fellow development staff member and former teammate Jake Muzzin skating with prospects.

Anze Kopitar’s wife Ines pens message for Kyle Clifford and family

Shortly after Kyle Clifford’s retirement was made public, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar’s wife Ines took to Instagram to share her own tribute. Reposting a graphic from the NHL’s official account to her stories, she added a short message:

“Congratulations Clifford Family!”

Clifford and Kopitar were teammates in Los Angeles for over a decade, sharing in two Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014. Known for his physical presence and work ethic, Clifford was a key contributor during the Kings’ 2014 championship run.

Kyle Clifford was originally drafted 35th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2009 and quickly established himself as a reliable bottom-six forward and enforcer.

His NHL career totaled 753 regular-season appearances across the Kings, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs, along with 65 playoff games. He posted 66 goals and 78 assists in the regular season, plus four goals and 12 assists in the postseason.

About the author

Anjum is an NHL reporter at Sportskeeda with over five years of professional experience in the spectator sports industry. Raised in Bahrain, Anjum grew up close to the Formula 1 and GP2 scene, but it was ice-sports that she truly had a chance to play at school.

Anjum prioritizes thorough research, fact-checking and verification of sources when reporting, and has worked for Oil on Whyte, Leafs Herald, the Nation of Blaugrana, Barca International Cules, FromTheBend, Last Word On Sports and NASA.

She got interested in ice hockey after watching the “MVP” trilogy as a second grader and has not gotten over the sport yet. Her favorite player is Alex Ovechkin, whose legendary one-timers live rent free in her heart. The iconic moment when Ovechkin reached 800 career goals with a hat trick in Chicago as the away crowd chanted “Ovi, Ovi” is probably her happiest memory from an ice-rink.

When not enjoying the game, Anjum can be found sailing, star-mapping or collaborating with fellow citizen scientists at NASA.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno