The Philadelphia Flyers made a depth addition to their organization on Wednesday by signing jouneyman defenseman Adam Clendening to a one-year, two-way contract. He will make 750K if he plays in the NHL. Otherwise it’ll be 400K in the AHL with 450K guaranteed.
Clendening, a 28-year old right-handed defender from Niagara Falls, New York, spent the 2020-21 season with the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters while under contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He also spent extensive time on the Blue Jackets’ taxi squad as he only appeared in nine games for the Monsters, registering one goal and three assists with a +3 rating for the team.
Clendening had spent the last three seasons in the Blue Jackets system, and has also made organizational stops with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers, and Arizona Coyotes.
Clendening had a grand total of 90 NHL games under his belt, posting totals of four goals and 20 assists for 24 points along with 49 penalty minutes and a +11 rating. His most extensive stay in the NHL was with the Rangers in 2016-17, playing in 31 games for New York and registering two goals and nine assists along with 17 penalty minutes and a +3 rating.
Clendening will likely serve most of his time in the Flyers organization with the club’s AHL affiliate in Allentown, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Clendening has appeared in 370 AHL contests in his career, suiting up for the Rockford IceHogs, Utica Comets, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Tucson Roadrunners, and Cleveland Monsters over the last nine seasons. He had a career season in 2013-14 with the IceHogs, posting 12 goals and 47 assists for 59 points in 74 games along with a +3 rating and 64 penalty minutes for Chicago’s AHL affiliate.
Clendening is also a two-time AHL All-Star, appearing in the All-Star Game for the IceHogs in 2013 and for the Monsters in 2020. He has also been named to league’s All-Star postseason teams on two occasions.
The signing gives the Flyers more organizational depth on their blueline and gives them a veteran option to recall to the NHL in case of an emergency, similar to Nate Prosser’s role with the club last season. Clendening will also provide leadership on a young squad in Allentown and can help guide defensive prospects such as Cam York and Egor Zamula in his time with the organization.