Cleary now works in player development for the Detroit Red Wings, and many Newfoundlanders were thrilled to see the St. John’s native coach in the Growlers’ inaugural season this year. The Growlers are the Toronto Maple Leafs’ affiliate in a league considered a step below the American Hockey League.
“I think the whole province was excited, just to have pro hockey back, to have (Clowe) at the helm,” he said in a phone interview from Grand Rapids, Mich.
Cleary grew up rooting for the St. John’s Maple Leafs, the Maple Leafs’ AHL club at the time.
He recalls driving 45 minutes into town and watching Felix Potvin perform between the pipes.
“To me, it was always
Cleary now works in player development with the Detroit Red Wings and was among the many Newfoundlanders excited to see the St. John’s native coaching in the Growlers’ inaugural season this year. The Growlers are an affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs in a league that’s seen as a step below the American Hockey League.
“I think the whole province was excited, just to have pro hockey back, to have (Clowe) at the helm,” he said in a phone interview from Grand Rapids, Mich.
When Cleary was growing up, his local pro team was the St. John’s Maple Leafs, then the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate.
He remembers driving 45 minutes into town and watching Felix Potvin play between the pipes.
“For me, it was always the St. John’s Maple Leafs. That was the team that I followed and watched and looked up to and all that kind of stuff,” said Cleary, who went on to spend spent 17 seasons in the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.
After the Maple Leafs left, St. John’s hosted — and eventually lost — other hockey teams, including another AHL team (Ice Caps) and a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise (Fog Devils).
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The sport has a big role to play in Canada’s eastern-most province, said Cleary, who returns to St. John’s every summer to host his hockey school.
He grew up playing on the frozen ocean after school and spending weekends in rinks with friends and family.
“Hockey’s a huge part of the culture and of people coming together and of celebrating. Newfoundland’s a great place to grow up, to play hockey in,” he said.
News that an ECHL club would set up shop in St. John’s starting in 2018 was met with excitement.
The Growlers ascended to third place in the league’s standings under Clowe’s leadership, posting a 27-11-2 record.
The coach took a leave of absence before Christmas and Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement on Thursday that Clowe would leave his post immediately for “medical reasons.”
Assistant coach John Snowden will fill the position and Clowe will remain in the Leafs organization in a yet-to-be determined role.
“I’d like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs for the opportunity to become the first head coach in Newfoundland Growlers history,” Clowe said in a statement. “As a St. John’s native, I was extremely honoured and proud to have held this position but my health is first priority for both my family and I.”
The left-winger spent 11 seasons in the NHL, playing with the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils before retiring in September 2015 when doctors would not clear him following a concussion.
He was known for his size and skill, and as a tough player with a good set of hands who could score and make plays, said Cleary, who played many games against Clowe.
The pair also know each other on a personal level, Cleary said, in part because Clowe is married to Cleary’s third cousin.
“I know what kind of person he is, I know his work ethic. He was all-in on (the Growlers),” he said. “He’s such a passionate guy, he’s a hard-working guy.”
