New Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Connor Clifton is thrilled for his opportunity in a new place and on a new team this season.
And – as it turns out – he has some familiarity with a few people in the Penguins' organization.
On Tuesday, Clifton spoke about his connection to new head coach Dan Muse from his collegiate years. But he also has a prior connection to Penguins' assistant general manager Jason Spezza.
Spezza, 42, played 18 NHL seasons, amassing 363 goals and 995 points in in 1,248 career games. Not particularly known as a fighter – he had 604 total penalty minutes in his career – Spezza didn't drop the gloves very often at all.
However, he did drop the gloves with Clifton during the young defenseman's NHL debut with the Boston Bruins on Nov. 16, 2018.
“Yeah, I’ve got to talk to him about that, too, actually," Clifton remarked. "I was just trying to survive my NHL debut – just trying to survive out there – and ended up getting a fight with him. I know he doesn’t fight often. It was quick, and we served our time in the box.
He continued: "But, yeah, it was funny… he was looking for it more than me, I was just trying to survive out there for game one. I had a little laugh with him – I think it must have been a year or two after when he was in Toronto – and I hear, ‘Round Two?’ And I was like, ‘No man, we already got ours.’"
Clifton, 30, has spent parts of seven seasons in the NHL between the Bruins and Buffalo Sabres, and he has registered 15 goals, 77 points, and 290 penalty minutes in 384 games.
New Penguins' Defenseman Looks Forward To 'Fresh Start'New Pittsburgh Penguins’ defenseman Connor Clifton missed a few important calls back on Jun. 28 while the 2025 NHL Draft was happening.
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Feature Image Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
