Ice Dogs bound for Canadian Clewlow

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For the Sydney Ice Dogs, bringing home the Goodall Cup in 2013 was an unbelievable experience and the culmination of years – or decades for some players – of work. However, 2014 is a new year and a new championship to win.
 
Plenty has happened in the off-season for the Dogs with Captain Robert Malloy getting his permanent residency, former 2011 import and now Australian citizen Mitch Bye returning to the team, and a bevy of new Australian players being included in the squad. With Paddy Ward and Simon Barg now living in Australia and new Swedish goalkeeper Tim Noting arriving earlier in the week, the Sydney-siders are hoping that their final import, John Clewlow, is the final key to unlock back-to-back championships.
 
Hailing from Brampton, Ontario, the 25-year old Canadian native has achieved great things in the past two seasons playing for the Fayetteville FireAntz of the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey league). He ranked 34th overall in points amongst skaters in the competition in 2013-14, accumulating 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in 56 games. However, Clewlow was number one for the FireAntz in both goals and total points. While Fayetteville missed the post-season by 4 points, Clewlow proved he can excel at the minor league level of US hockey.
 
Clewlow's career started with the Elmira College Soaring Eagles in the NCAA III competition where he played four years. Overall, Clewlow is ranked 42nd in Elmira College all-time point leaders (the school’s hockey records date back to 1975) with 56 points in 86 games during his time there. He has fond memories of his time at Elmira College, including going to the NCAA tournament every season he was there and winning the ECAC West Championship in his junior year.
 
Judging by his stats, Clewlow has the touch as a goal scorer. However, Clewlow feels that the stats are misleading.
 
“I don't think I'm a goal scorer, I'm more of a play-maker,” Clewlow said. “I like to pass the puck. Sometimes you just have to be in the right spot at the right time. I also love killing penalties."
 
A position on the penalty-kill unit may just be what the Ice Dogs need. John Clewlow could turn an opponent's power-play advantage into a short-handed scoring opportunity. With Simon Barg coming off a season where he scored an AIHL record 10 short-handed goals, this could be a huge advantage for the defending premiers.
 
Making the journey 'down under' isn't always easy for import players. However, when John was asked about playing in the AIHL and what it means to be part of the defending champions, Sydney Ice Dogs, John Clewlow was both equally optimistic and grounded about the opportunity.
 
"I don't expect too much of anything when it comes to playing hockey, if there is a game to be played I want to be part of it," said Clewlow. "I do know that this team won the championship last year, and wants to do so again, which means they want to compete."
 
It's fair to say that most Australian ice hockey fans think that Canadian kids start learning to skate as soon as they can walk. This is true in John Clewlow's case, learning the game of hockey both on the ice and inline rinks.
 
"My first organised hockey game was when I was 4 years old, and the skates have not come off since," Clewlow joked.
 
"In the summer I usually play roller hockey and have had the privilege to play for Team Canada. The professional route came at the end of my senior year when I didn't want to stop playing, luckily the SPHL came calling."
 
Clewlow will join his Reach Crane Trucks Sydney Ice Dogs teammates at the Medibank Ice House on Saturday when they kick off the 2014 AIHL season against the Melbourne Ice.