Latest news with #ConnorClifton
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Penguins Defender Signs Multi-Year Deal With New Team
Earlier this off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded defenseman Conor Timmins and prospect Isaac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for blueliner Connor Clifton and a second-round pick.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Don't Come In Passive': Penguins Give Scrappy Connor Clifton Marching Orders
There are six right-handed defensemen on the Pittsburgh Penguins roster, or who otherwise have hopes of playing on NHL ice this season. Coach Dan Muse has not yet begun to sort the gaggle of righties, but gave newly acquired Connor Clifton some direct advise. 'I was speaking to Dan and (he said) just how we're gonna be competitive, and it's all gonna start with work. He mentioned he wanted me to come in and try to find it right away. Don't come in all passive, but be aggressive and be who I am,' Clifton said during his first meeting with Pittsburgh media Tuesday. 'And I think that's always good to hear. I said, I'm excited for the opportunity.' Clifton, 30, and Muse have a little bit of a history. While Muse was an assistant coach at Yale, he tried to recruit Clifton, who eventually chose Quinnipiac, presumably because of the hockey. Clifton has had some struggles over the last few seasons, split between the Boston Bruins and, most recently, the Buffalo Sabres. The physical defenseman found himself a healthy scratch in Buffalo and was dealing with the mental challenges of absorbing such hits off the ice while trying to deliver them on the ice. In 73 games, Clifton didn't provide a lot of offense for Buffalo, netting just one goal and 15 assists, but he led the team by a wide margin with 208 hits. Only one other Sabres player had more than 150. However, like many players before him, Clifton was swallowed up by the malaise that has become the Buffalo NHL franchise. 'I wasn't too happy with (the situation). You know, I think I was all over my place. I wouldn't even say just last year. Really, the past two years. I think my game has kind of been at a standstill. It was a lot of mental battles along the way,' said Clifton. 'There were a couple of scratches two years ago, too. So I think my whole time in Buffalo, I feel like I kind of lost myself. Again, the change of scenery, I got that call that I'm going to be a Pittsburgh Penguin. I was really excited about the change. I want to get back to my old self, and how I play, and the impact that I have on the game.' There is little question that Clifton is a fierce defenseman. After all, in his NHL debut, he fought current Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza. For the record, Clifton admitted Spezza offered him a second go the second time they met, but Clifton didn't need that line on his resume. After five seasons with Boston and two with Buffalo, Clifton has played 384 games. While he has only 77 points, he has 290 penalty minutes. He has 17 professional fights, and his first scrap also has Penguins connections–it was against former Penguins winger Bobby Farnham while both were in the AHL (Clifton with Providence, Farnham with Springfield). It's despite being only 5-foot-11, 195 pounds. 'I've heard (that I'm small) plenty of times. That's kind of how I've always played, and working to get to the next level, it was always a big part of my game,' Clifton said. 'I feel like I out-competed my way to the NHL with that sort of style, and that's what's gonna keep me there.' Physicality has been a sorely lacking quality amongst Penguins defensemen over the past few … decades. Gritty defensemen have quickly stood out and become coaching favorites. For comparison, the Penguins defenseman with the most hits last season was Kris Letang, who registered a mere 120 in 74 games. Ryan Graves was second among D-men with 75. Given that context, there's good reason that Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas seemed to be genuinely excited to acquire him, even at the expense of Conor Timmins. The Penguins also received a second-round pick in the draft-day deal from Buffalo, which the Penguins used to select Peyton Kettles (39th overall). Perhaps the only thing quiet about Clifton was how he was informed of the trade. 'It was kind of funny. I was putting my daughter down for a nap. I guess the draft was going on–We didn't even have it on the TV. I didn't see Kevyn (Adams), the GM of Buffalo, he texted me, and I had a missed call when I was in my daughter's room,' Clifton recounted. 'So, she was getting a nap … and I was getting a nap too. We went to our room, and Kevin popped up. I didn't even see it. I had already missed a call. And I told my wife, I was like, 'Oh, Kevyn's calling,' and she's like, 'Oh, where are we going?' 'I answered. I had to whisper a little bit in our bathroom. And he told me it was Pittsburgh, and I was, I was pretty excited.' Of course, Clifton probably wasn't the only one taking a nap on Saturday afternoon during Day 2 of the laborious NHL Draft. But if Muse and he get their way, it will be the last time Clifton is quiet with the Penguins. The post 'Don't Come In Passive': Penguins Give Scrappy Connor Clifton Marching Orders appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dan's Daily: Wild vs. Rossi Battle; Karlsson Spots; Penguins Trade Limits
Oh boy, the clickbaiters were out in full force over the last few days, mangling and misquoting our Pittsburgh Penguins trade analysis and projections. We took it all a step further by delivering a big slice of nuance regarding the Penguins' future trade limitations. Newly acquired defenseman Connor Clifton also spoke to Pittsburgh media for the first time, and he proved to be a pretty good talker with a couple of good anecdotes, cute and serious. It seems the sides have entrenched in the battle of Marco Rossi against the Minnesota Wild in contract negotiations. Canadian media is digging deep to project the 2026 Team Canada Olympic roster, Sportsnet dropped five potential Erik Karlsson landing spots, and the St. Louis Blues paid tribute to one of their most famous fans, Ozzy Osbourne. I'm not sure why Ozzy's passing particularly saddened me. I don't have a stack of Black Sabbath vinyl, and I'm not steeped in his solo career, but he was a pillar of rock, which is ever increasingly weak sauce, and a beacon of the wild era. Even if he was just as famous for biting a bat, snorting ants, and partying like members kicked out of Animal House, back when we had a shared pop culture not divided by endless options and not obsessed with results in D.C., Ozzy was a poor postwar British kid who rose to unimaginable stardom. He and his family even created an entire genre of reality TV that was mainstream before such shows were, and his appearances on Stern that led to the show were a riot. Somehow, he became a St. Louis Blues fan, and the team properly paid tribute yesterday. Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Connor Clifton is a good interview. He felt he had lost himself in Buffalo, and he battled coach's decisions and a bad situation. The story of him getting the trade call for the Penguins was pretty good, too. Here's a bit more about new Penguins defenseman Connor Clifton. Are the Penguins the team holding up the rest of the NHL off-season? There's a good bit of circumstantial evidence that's the case, but we also looked at one of the significant limitations facing general manager Kyle Dubas and how next year's CBA changes will add a bit more confusion, too. The latest notebook was part analysis, part explanation, and part Penguins trade talk. Steelers Now: It's training camp day. Our Derrick Bell looked at the four veterans who are fighting for their football lives. We've got more in-depth coverage of Steelers training camp. There will be a Live Chat today at 1:05 p.m. Make sure to join our YouTube page so you get notified and can join in the fun. NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now Sportsnet: Thus far, the trade talk has been almost exclusively speculative, with just a bit of stage one trade talk. We'll let the big Canadian outlet get the first crack at laying out five potential landing spots for one Mr. Erik Karlsson. TSN Video: Let's debate who gets dumped from Team Canada and who might be on the team for the Olympics who didn't make the Four Nations roster. The chatter has begun. Daily Face-Off: More from Michael Russo's podcast appearance. It seems things have not only gone cold, but are getting icy between the Minnesota Wild and Marco Rossi. It's been weeks since the team and player even talked about a new contract. Philly Hockey Now: To hell with dump and chase hockey! Matvei Michkov had some strong opinions on giving up the puck and looked sideways at the first coach who demanded he do it. Here's the Philadelphia Flyers winger's takedown. New Jersey Hockey Now: It's been a week since Yegor Chinakhov's agent let rip with his public trade request, but there's been nothing doing so far. James Nichols lines up Chinakhov as a perfect fit for a Devils trade. We're getting down to it, but feel free to tweet some secondary or off-the-beaten-trail stories to me. You know me, I'm still working every day, and we'll keep pushing the Daily stories and columns as long as I can. The post Dan's Daily: Wild vs. Rossi Battle; Karlsson Spots; Penguins Trade Limits appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
CBS News
29-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Penguins make 13 draft picks, multiple trades during 2025 NHL Draft
The 2025 NHL Draft wrapped up on Saturday evening, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were quite busy on both days. In total, the Penguins made 13 draft picks, as well as made a few trades during the entry draft that took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Going into the first round on Friday night, the Penguins originally had back-to-back picks at 11th and 12th overall, but ultimately chose to trade the 12th overall pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for the 22nd and 31st overall picks. The Penguins also traded defensemen Conor Timmins and Issac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick. Penguins make three first-round picks For the first time since 1984, the Penguins made three selections in the first round. The Penguins chose forward Benjamin Kindel from the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL 11th overall. The 18-year-old Kindel registered career highs across the board in the 2024-25 season, scoring 35 goals, 64 assists, and 99 points. Those 99 points were second on his team and seventh-best in the WHL. In the playoffs, Kindel continued to produce, scoring eight goals and seven assists in 11 games. Originally, the Penguins were scheduled to have back-to-back picks in round one, but President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas made the decision to trade the 12th overall pick to the Flyers in exchange for the 22nd and 31st overall picks. Then, the Penguins would trade the 31st overall pick and the 59th overall pick to the Los Angeles Kings for the 24th overall pick. With those two picks in the first round, the Penguins chose forwards Bill Zonnon 22nd overall and Will Horcoff 24th overall. Zonnon spent the 2024-25 season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, and like Kindel, posted career highs. He scored 28 goals, 55 assists, and 83 points. In total, the 6'2", 185-pound forward scored 62 goals, 118 assists, and 180 points across three seasons in QMJHL. To close out the first round, the Penguins selected forward Will Horcoff 24th overall. The son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff split the 2024-25 season between the USA National Team Development Program and the University of Michigan. He played 28 games with the NTDP and scored 14 points, then with Michigan, he scored 10 points in 18 games at the NCAA level. Wheeling and dealing in the second round, the Penguins make 10 picks Day two of the NHL Draft for the Penguins began with a trade. The Penguins sent defensemen Conor Timmins and Issac Belliveau to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick (7th pick in the second round), and with the pick, they selected defenseman Peyton Kettles. There were plenty of Pittsburgh connections for the team's picks on the second day. Kettles, in his pre-draft interview, said the first NHL jersey he ever owned was an Evgeni Malkin jersey. He also played junior hockey with current Penguins' prospect Owen Pickering. "I have a really good relationship with Owen," Kettles said. "Started my Western League career with him, and we were D partners for a long time, so definitely happy to reunite with him." With the 73rd overall pick, the Penguins selected defenseman Charlie Trehewey, who spent several years in the Pittsburgh area. At age 13, Trehewey moved to Pittsburgh to play for the Penguins Elite program. "Obviously, having a lot of family in the area, went down for Sunday dinners and stuff like that down in Mt. Lebanon when I was with Pens Elite," Charlie said. "I'm going to be so close to a lot of family, and I just can't wait to get started." Another fun Penguins connection came in the form of the 84th overall pick when they selected goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle. D'Aigle is a native of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, the same hometown as former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. During the offseason, D'Aigle and Fleury work with the same goaltending coach. After selecting D'Aigle 84th overall, the Penguins made seven more picks: forward Brady Peddle (91st overall), forward Travis Hayes (105th overall), forward Ryan Miller (130th overall), defenseman Quinn Beauchesne (148th overall), forward Jordan Charron (154th overall), Carter Sanderson (169th overall), and forward Kale Dach (201st overall). There won't be a lot of time to rest for the Penguins and their new draft picks as they will host prospect development camp next week at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex from July 3 until July 7.
