Chris Clark's Contract Extended By Wenatchee Wild's Front Office

Wild Extends Contract with Associate Head Coach, Assistant General Manager Chris Clark. New Head Coach Will Be Named Soon

It's been a busy week in the Wenatchee Wild front office. The team has announced big news regarding it's front line coaching staff.

The Wenatchee Wild and Chris Clark have reached agreement on a two-year contract extension, and Clark will continue his role with the WHL team as associate head coach and assistant general manager.

“It’s hard to think of the Wenatchee Wild and not think of Chris Clark,” said Wenatchee general manager Bliss Littler. “Coach Clark has done a great job adjusting to the WHL as an associate head coach as well as an assistant general manager. Chris brings great integrity, organization, and professionalism, as well as 16 years of experience in coaching at the Junior A and WHL level. Chris has a great hockey mind that I lean on every day. We are lucky to have Chris Clark in our organization.”

The Wild announced the contract extension Wednesday in a press release and also revealed the news that a new Head coach has been selected to replace the retiring Roy Sommer and will be named soon.

Sommer took over the reins from former Wild coach Kevin Constantine in early October of last season when e was fired and suspended indefinitely by the Western Hockey League for making “derogatory comments of a discriminatory nature.”

“Roy did a nice job coming in at a tough time of the season,” said Littler. “He settled things down and guided our team to home ice in the playoffs. We are very grateful for Coach Sommer’s efforts.”

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Coach Clark has been with the Wild organization since its founding in 2008

Chris Clark will remain with the team under a new two year contract extension (Photo credit: Digital Media Northwest)

Clark began his tenure with Wenatchee as a goaltending coach and then was promoted to assistant coach before advancing to the head coaching role in December of the 2019 season. He has served as Associate Head Coach and Assistant General Manager under Littler during the Wild's transition from the BCHL to the WHL in 2023.

Clark played NCAA Division 1 hockey at Minnesota State University. He played two-years in goal for the British Columbia Hockey League's Victoria Salsa and helped win a 2001 BCHL Fred Page Cup championship.

Clark helped hoist the the Fred Page Cup 17 years later in Wenatchee as an assistant coach for the Wild.

“I am extremely grateful to David and Lisa White, as well as Bliss, for the opportunity to continue to be a part of the Wild organization,” said Clark. “I look forward to working with our staff and players as we build on the success that we had in our first year in the WHL.”

Follow the Wenatchee Wild all season long with live coverage and play-by-play on NewsRadio 560 KPQ/FM 101.7 and live streaming on the KPQ app or KPQ.com

Tri-City Americans Who Played in the NHL

Hockey is one of the hardest sports to play. Most hockey players will play the sport their entire lives, starting to skate as soon as they can walk. Even with all that dedication, the likelihood a player cracks an NHL roster is astronomically low. The WHL is a high-tier developmental league that sees many of its players make it to the show. But for a player who makes it to the WHL or any other junior league, the chances of them reaching the NHL is still only 5%. These former Tri-City Americans are those elite few who have made the jump.

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