Clifford has provided a physical presence throughout his NHL career, first for the Los Angeles Kings and later for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Kings' second-round pick (No. 35) in the 2009 NHL Draft did lead the team in penalty minutes in each of his first five seasons in the League. And the Ayr, Ontario, native's 141 penalty minutes in his rookie season of 2010-11 were the most by a first-year Kings player since Steve McKenna (150) in 1997-98. The 6-foot-2 left wing plays a physical style that generates a lot of contact -- he had at least 111 hits in each of his first 10 NHL seasons.

But Clifford is also a defensively responsible player who is more than willing to put his body into high-traffic areas and who tirelessly pursues opponents on the forecheck. He became the 20th teenager to play for the Kings when he made his NHL debut Oct. 9, 2010, against the Vancouver Canucks at age 19. He got his first NHL point with an assist Dec. 2, 2010, against the Florida Panthers.

Clifford scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 9, 2010, against the Calgary Flames. He led Kings rookies with seven goals, then appeared in all six games in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he had three goals and five points (tying for the team lead in each category). Those totals gave him the most points in a playoff series by a Kings rookie since 1993.

The following season Clifford was second among Kings forwards with 178 hits. He got his first Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a goal, an assist and a fighting major against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 23, 2012. In the 2012 playoffs, Los Angeles won all three playoff games Clifford played on the way to winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since entering the NHL in 1967.

In addition to leading the NHL with 39 penalty minutes during the 2014 playoffs, Clifford also provided offense in big moments as Los Angeles won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons. Clifford had two assists as the Kings beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-2 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. He had a goal and an assist in Game 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers, then assisted on Alec Martinez's championship-clinching, double-overtime goal in Game 5.

Clifford had his best offensive season in 2018-19, scoring 11 goals and finishing with 21 points But with the Kings out of the playoff race as the 2019-20 entered its final two months, the Kings traded Clifford and backup goalie Jack Campbell to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 5, 2020.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Signed as a free agent by Ontario (ECHL), November 20, 2012.
• Traded to Toronto by Los Angeles with Jack Campbell for Trevor Moore, Columbus' 3rd-round pick in 2020 NHL Draft (previously acquired) and a conditional pick in 2021 NHL Draft, February 5, 2020.
• Signed as a free agent by St. Louis, October 11, 2020.