Mike Clarke (b. 1953)

''This is about the player born in 1953. For the players of the same name born in 1979, please see Mike Clarke (b. 1979).''

Mike Clarke (born August 29, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who, in 1973, was drafted by both the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association.

Clarke was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 3rd round (42nd overall) of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, and was also selected by the New England Whalers in the 2nd round (26th overall) of the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft.

Although Clarke went on to play eleven seasons of professional hockey, he never played a game in either of major leagues that had drafted him.

Playing career
Born 1992 in Didsbury, Alberta, Canada, Clarke played major junior hockey with the Calgary Centennials of the Western Hockey League. He began his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 1973 with the Richmond Robins - then the minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Following his rookie campaign, Clarke was bounced around the minor leagues; playing in the AHL, NAHL, IHL, and EHL.

Clarke achieved his best success with the Flint Generals during the 1976-77 season when he racked up 108 points in 78 games with IHL team. In all he would play five seasons and 342 games with the Generals, scoring a total of 380 points for the Flint team.

Mid-way through the 1981-82 season, the Generals dealt Clarke to the Fort Wayne Komets where he continued to produce by scoring 127 points in 127 games for the Komets.

Clarke's 11 season professional career concluded following the 1983-84 season. He retired as a member of the Kalamazoo Wings after being traded to that team by Fort Wayne earlier that season. His total professional statistics are summed up with 721 points in 747 regular season games, with another 66 points scored in 60 post-season games.