Kyle Clifford retires after 15 seasons, joins Maple Leafs front office

Kyle Clifford is hanging up his skates after a long and successful hockey career.

Though his on-ice career is over, the Ayr, Ont. native has accepted a place in the Toronto Maple Leafs front office in a player development role.

Clifford played 15 seasons between the NHL and AHL. He skated in 753 games, recorded 144 points and won two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 with the LA Kings. He was drafted 35th overall in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Kings and led the team in penalty minutes for the first five years of his career.

The six-foot-two forward was traded from the Kings to the Maple Leafs in 2020 and then joined the St. Louis Blues for two seasons. Clifford landed back in Toronto via trade in 2021, where he played until 2022.

Clifford played his last NHL game with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 24, 2022, against the Vegas Knights. He ended his career playing 127 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies until 2025.