Cole Clayton went undrafted in 2018 despite being a right-shooting back with good size.
In his final season in World Hockey League junior hockey with the Medicine Hat Tigers, his team played just 23 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the shortened season, he made the most of the opportunity, leading all defenders in points (30) and goals (9). That performance was enough for the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, to offer him a one-year AHL contract.
After a stellar first year of professional hockey, he signed a two-year AHL contract with the Monsters until his resurgence in the 2023-24 season. After three years of establishing himself as a reliable two-way defenseman in the AHL, the Blue Jackets signed him to his first NHL contract on July 1, 2024.
The 6-foot-2, 199-pound native of Strathmore, Alta., signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks this summer after four years with the Blue Jackets. For Clayton, who never changed youth teams during his four years in the WHL and spent his entire career on the shores of Lake Erie, joining San Jose was a change, but one he quickly embraced.
“Yeah, it was a little difficult at first, not knowing who was coming in,” Clayton said. “But we have a great group of people here who make the transition very easy.”
Although he has yet to play in the NHL, when the Sharks signed him this summer, they saw an ascending player who is still developing and improving.
“He’s young, he’s big, and he plays a mature game,” Barracuda general manager Joe Weir said. “For me, I see Cole as a prospect.”
With the Sharks in the midst of a rebuild, the opportunity is there. This is a great opportunity for Clayton to break into an NHL lineup.
“This is a place where they’re a growing team and there are some spots to take,” he said. “Injuries happen, so I just hope my name can be one of the first guys called up.”
During training camp and the start of the Barracuda season, Clayton was paired primarily with Luca Cagnoni, who was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team last season. Last year, Canioni’s main partner was Jimmy Schulte, who was playing in an NHL game for the first time in six years.
Clayton has been impressed by the 20-year-old’s composure and skill.
“He’s very good, very offensive, very skilled, a great skater,” Canioni’s Clayton said. “It’s so cool to see a guy with such poise and hockey skills, I just want to compete against him.”
Life in the AHL isn’t always glamorous, with long bus rides, layovers and constant travel that comes with it. But the league is becoming more like the NHL than ever. Players are treated well, nearly all meals are provided, and the staff has expanded to provide more support and attention to the players. All it takes is an injury or a phone call to join the NHL. If you continue to work hard, continue to develop, and become the best player and teammate you can be, then you will be ready when the opportunity comes.
All of the Sharks’ current right-shooting defensemen are under contract through the 2025-26 season only, so in theory, the 25-year-old could have a chance to make it to the NHL for the first time in his career.
“I just try to grow as a person and as a player every year,” Clayton said. “When you sign an AHL contract, there’s a lot of things going against you, so I’m just trying to take that first step and establish myself as a regular player and hopefully grow from there into a top-four player in the AHL.”
Clayton spent his first four seasons in the AHL with Cleveland, where he steadily improved and adapted to the speed and increased physicality of the professional game.
“He shoots the ball really well, which is a plus,” Weir said. “He’s physical and a very welcome addition to us.”
Clayton grew up in Strathmore, Alberta, a town of about 12,000 people about 40 minutes outside Calgary. Like most kids born around 2000, Jarome Iginla is his favorite player and the Flames are his favorite team. On top of the saddle is the cathedral.
He played a few games at the Saddledome with the Calgary Hitmen during his junior career, but had never played there as a professional before the Barracuda’s recent trip to Calgary. When he signed with the Sharks this summer, knowing he would likely start the year in the AHL, he immediately circled that road trip on his calendar.
“Playing in front of my family and friends is very special,” Clayton said. “My brothers have to come, but I never really get to see them. My parents usually go to where I play a couple times a year so I can see them, but it’s nice to be able to play in front of my grandparents and family. They’ve done a lot for me, so it’s cool to be able to play in front of them.”
Strathmore was so small that in order to have enough players to field a team, they had to merge with neighboring towns.
Clayton is a small-town kid with big dreams and hopes to one day achieve his lifelong goal of playing in the NHL.
