Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Kings’ Clifford played Stanley Cup Final with broken wrist

Kyle Clifford

Though it’s well established that most guys, if not all, play hurt during the playoffs, what Kyle Clifford did last spring is pretty crazy.

Clifford -- who assisted on Alec Martinez’s Stanley Cup-winning goal -- broke his wrist during Game 1 of the Cup Final against the Rangers, yet fought through the injury to average over 10 minutes a night and finish with four points in five games.

“It was fun. We won,’’ Clifford told the L.A. Register. “Sitting out wasn’t an option. If it was broken already, I’m sure there’s not much more damage you could do to it.’’

Shortly after the victory, the 23-year-old Clifford -- who’s in the last of a two-year, $2.15 million deal -- underwent surgery to repair the wrist, a procedure that sidelined him for a month but hasn’t hampered him at all during training camp or preseason action.

The five-year veteran played 15:40 in last night’s shootout win over the Ducks, tying Tyler Toffoli with a team-high six shots on goal.