Clifford played junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts (OHL). He played three seasons for the Colts, scoring 45 goals and 100 points in 184 games while accruing 327 penalty minutes. Clifford joined the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the postseason following the 2009–10 season. He appeared in six AHL playoff games without registering a point.
After completing his junior career, Clifford opted to continue playing in the OHL with the Erie Otters. He scored 30 goals and added 80 points in four years with the team.
Following his time with Erie, Clifford moved on to the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs where he spent one season as their captain. As a freshman in 2013-14, Clifford led the Bulldogs in scoring with 52 points in 39 games. He was named to the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament All-Tournament Team after helping lead UMD to its first national championship game appearance. The Bulldogs were defeated by Boston College 3-0 in the opening round.
Prior to turning professional, Clifford was selected by the Calgary Flames in the second round (44th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft.
Clifford made his pro debut with the Flames' top affiliate, the Stockton Heat, in 2015-16.
The Los Angeles Kings picked him in the second round (35th overall) at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Clifford has won two Stanley Cups with the Kings.
He is a right wing who plays a physical game and has excellent hand-eye co-ordination. He has 1 goal and 7 points in 10 games this season.
Clifford's brother, Jordan, also plays for the Kings' organization in the American Hockey League. They both speak English as their first language.
Kyle Clifford was born on January 4th, 1989 in Toronto, Ontario. He lives in Millbrook, British Columbia with his family. The father of three is a truck driver for Ryder Truck Rental.
His favorite player is Wayne Gretzky. His hobbies are playing video games such as Call of Duty and NBA 2K12 and watching movies. Clifford also enjoys surfing internet sites such as YouTube.com for gaming videos.
He has one major league career goal and seven points in 10 games this season.
Clifford's wife is named Taylor and they met when they were students at Barrie Central High School. They married in 2014 after getting engaged during the 2013-14 season. They have two children together: a son and a daughter.
Clifford appeared in just three postseason games (and none in the finals). Clifford played in nine games with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL during the 2012-13 NHL lockout. In 2014, the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the second time, defeating the New York Rangers in five games.
He started at left wing on opening night vs Vancouver, his first game with the club. He scored a goal in that game - his first as a King. Subsequently, he was replaced at left wing by Anze Kopitar after that first game. However, Kyle returned to LA's lineup for their playoff run where he had two goals and four points in six games.
Clifford was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on March 5, 2015 in exchange for Tom Pyatt and a third-round pick in 2016. He ended up playing one game for Montreal before being sent down to AHL Hamilton on March 7, 2015. He spent the rest of the season with Hamilton, scoring 14 goals and 28 points in 47 games.
In 2016-17, Clifford made the leap straight from the AHL to the NHL, appearing in all 82 games for Montreal and notching seven goals and 17 points. He also added three goals and four points in eight playoff games as the Habs reached the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals before being swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Kyle Frank Clifford (born January 13, 1991) is a Canadian ice hockey forward who currently plays for the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL).
He grew up in North Branford, Connecticut and played major junior hockey for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. As a youth, he played in the 2004 and 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Canada national development team.
Clifford made his NHL debut on October 4, 2009, against the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first career goal the following game against Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames. He was selected to play in the 2011 All-Star Game but missed the event due to injury. The following season, he helped the Kings win their second championship in four years. After eight seasons with the Kings, Clifford opted to leave as a free agent after signing a seven-year, $42.5 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2016.
He is married to actress Marie Avgeropoulos; they have one son together. They met while filming The Family Law together in 2012. Clifford also has a son from a previous relationship.
In 2015, he became a father for the second time when his wife gave birth to their second child.
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