Clarkson Well Represented in Quest for Lord Stanley's Cup

From l to r: Chris Clark, Washington; Erik Cole, Carolina; Todd Marchant, Anaheim; and Willie Mitchell, Vancouver

The following article appeared May 6 on the Clarkson Web site.

The quest for the Stanley Cup is in full swing with the 2009 National Hockey League playoff conference semifinal rounds currently underway, and Clarkson University is well represented with four former Golden Knight Hockey all-stars still battling for postseason glory.

Chris Clark with the Washington Capitals, Erik Cole with the Carolina Hurricanes, Todd Marchant with the Anaheim Ducks and Willie Mitchell with the Vancouver Canucks have all played a role in putting their teams in prime position to advance to the conference championships.

Washington’s captain, Clark, who played for the Golden Knights from 1994-98, overcame a regular-season injury to return to the Capitals lineup for the postseason. The rugged forward has skated in three playoff games and has helped Washington grab a 2-0 advantage over Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference semifinals heading into the May 6 contest.

After playing the majority of the regular season in Edmonton, Cole was traded back to Carolina in early March and immediately revived the Canes’ playoff hopes. Through nine postseason games, the talented forward, who helped Carolina win the 2006 Stanley Cup, has recorded one assist with Carolina, which is tied 1-1 in its Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston heading into Wednesday’s Game 3. Cole was a Clarkson all-star from 1997-2000.

A 15-year veteran in the NHL, Marchant has scored some big goals during his professional career, but Sunday’s game-winner early in triple overtime against the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings ranks up there as one of the speedy forwards most important. Marchant, who played a key role on Anaheim’s 2007 Stanley Cup championship club, has played in nine playoff games through May 5, recording one goal, one assist and a +3 plus/minus rating. Anaheim leads its Western Conference semifinal series against Detroit 2-1. Marchant was a standout for the Golden Knights from 1991-93.

Regarded as one of the most reliable stay-at-home defenseman in the NHL, Mitchell has helped Vancouver jump out to a 2-1 advantage over Chicago in their Western Conference semifinal series. He has skated in seven games during the playoffs, through May 6, recording two assists. Mitchell roamed the Clarkson blueline in all-star form from 1997-99.

Along with Clark, Cole, Marchant and Mitchell, Craig Conroy with Calgary, Kent Huskins with San Jose/Anaheim, Randy Jones with Philadelphia, and Todd White with Atlanta, also represented Clarkson in the NHL this season.