For the longest time, the NHL got the majority of its players from Canada. Given that is where the game originated, it only makes sense. In the decades since the United States has been slowly closing that gap. Though there are more names coming from the States, there haven’t been many NHL players from Iowa. There have been a few players to come along, however, including a few current NHLers.
The United States National Developmental Program has been churning out great players from all over the country. Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Matt Beniers, and more have all been drafted highly by their respective clubs.
Let’s take a look at the best NHL players from Iowa.
Players Drafted to the NHL From Iowa
Let’s first start with the players from Iowa who have been drafted. There are a ton of players from Iowa making up the ECHL, NCAA, and AHL ranks (among others). But how many have actually had their name called on the big stage?
Right now, the list is just a half dozen. The latest to join the list is defenseman Noah Ellis, who became the 184th overall pick (6th round) of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. What is funny is that, of the six players picked, a pair has gone in the same draft twice.
Defenseman Tucker Poolman and goaltender Cal Petersen were drafted in 2013, just two picks apart. Poolman went to the Winnipeg Jets while Petersen was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres.
Welcome to Iowa, home of Cal Petersen! pic.twitter.com/anm6B34AK0
— Jared Shafran (@ShafReign) November 10, 2019
This had happened once before, back in 1984. The draft was longer then and a pair of defensemen – Russ Becker and Mark Lanigan – went in the 11th and 12th rounds respectively. Becker found himself the property of the New York Islanders while Lanigan became a St. Louis Blue, though neither would suit up for a game in the NHL.
The final selection is goaltender Scott Clemmensen. The draft wasn’t quite as long in 1997, but still longer than it is today. Clemmensen was selected in the 8th round, 215th overall by the New Jersey Devils.
Now that we know which players from Iowa have had their names called in the NHL Draft, it is time to look more closely at those who have suited up on the big stage. The list is even shorter – just four players – but definitely worth noting.
Best NHL Players from Iowa
The list of NHL players from Iowa may be short and sweet with a forward, defenseman, and a pair of goaltenders having any kind of mark in the NHL. There are two active NHLers, though a third would like to make it back to the show soon.
1. Scott Clemmensen, 8th round, 215th overall (1997), New Jersey Devils
It is hard to argue against Clemmensen being in first place on our list of best NHL players from Iowa. Like the other Iowa draftees, Clemmensen was a late-round afterthought. To illustrate just how late an afterthought, he would be undrafted these days as the draft ends with the 7th round.
Clemmensen’s journey to the show was a long and interesting one. When he was drafted, he had a couple of seasons with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL under his belt and was headed to Boston College for his collegiate career.
He would spend all four years with the Eagles. Over those four years, he would play in 146 games, really coming into his own during his junior and senior seasons. Clemmensen would get the lion’s share of the starts that year, going 19-7 with a 2.20 GAA and .914 save percentage.
Scott would start all but 6 games the following year, posting an impressive 30-7-2 record while posting the same .914 save percentage and improving his GAA to 2.13. Clemmensen fell under the radar thanks to an absolutely ridiculous season from Michigan State goalie Ryan Miller. Miller went 31-5-4 with a 1.32 GAA and a .950(!) save percentage en route to the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top player.
Scott Clemmensen
New Jersey Devils (2003-2004)
Heaton 10 setup pic.twitter.com/yIEKISzZ6s— Tendy Gear (@Tendy_Gear) June 1, 2017
How Was His Career?
The 2001-02 season marked his first action in the NHL. He had just a pair of appearances for the New Jersey Devils that year, spending the majority of the season with the Albany River Rats of the AHL. For the next few seasons, that would be the tale of his career: a brief stop in the NHL while riding the buses of the AHL regularly.
Clemmensen would spend his first 6 seasons with the Devils organization, seeing 13 starts as a career-high during the 2005-06 season. With legendary stalwart Martin Brodeur manning the nets, it was virtually impossible for him to be more than a backup.
After a season with the Toronto organization, Clemmensen would swing back to New Jersey and have a breakout season. In 2008-09, Clemmensen started 40 games, going 25-13-1 with a 2.39 GAA, a .917 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.
That performance was good enough to earn him five seasons and 120 games with the Florida Panthers as a backup. His best season came in 2011-12, posting a 14-6-6 record and nearly matching his career-best save percentage with a .913.
The 2014-15 season would be his final year as a professional. He spent much of it with the Albany Devils of the AHL, posting solid numbers that year. His final numbers in the NHL totaled 191 games played with a 73-59-24 record, a 2.79 GAA, and a .905 save percentage.
What is notable is that Clemmensen would join the organization the following year as a goaltending development coach. He has been there since, entering the 2022-23 season in the same role.
“Regardless of what your path is or where you want it to take you, it’s always going to be under construction.”
Be sure to read former @NHL goaltender Scott Clemmensen’s lessons from his professional hockey journey in @TNGsocial’s latest contribution!
https://t.co/ex1MwwIVMN pic.twitter.com/0Yn8nanegy
— The Numbers Game (@TNGsocial) January 26, 2018
2. Cal Petersen, 5th round 129th overall (2013), Buffalo Sabres
The case of Cal Petersen is an interesting one. The 27-year-old netminder has seemingly been on the cusp of a breakout for years. Originally a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres late in the 2013 draft, Petersen would never suit up for the franchise.
He would spend three years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, posting exceptional numbers along the way. He capped it off with 2016-17 which saw him go 23-12-5 with a 2.22 GAA and an impressive .926 save percentage.
After his eligibility expired, he would opt to sign with the Los Angeles Kings. Aside from an 11-game stint in 2018-19, Petersen would spend three full years with the Kings’ affiliate the Ontario Reign. He was impressive during his time there and the rumors slowly began to circulate that the Kings had their future in net when stalwart Jonathan Quick retires.
It took until the 2020-21 season for Petersen to become a full-time NHLer. He split duties with Quick into some pretty bad Kings teams, posting decent numbers but nothing impressive. Heading into 2022-23, he is looking to finally wrestle the lion’s share of starts away from Quick.
To date, Petersen has played in 91 NHL games, posting a 39-39-8 record, 2.83 GAA, and a .908 save percentage. With Quick nearing retirement, it is becoming time for Petersen to stand apart.
On September 22, 2021, the @LAKings signed goaltender Cal Petersen to a three-year, $15 million contract extension. Petersen posted career-highs in 2021-22 with 20 wins and three shutouts in 35 starts with the #LAKings.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/fKKcBpKOtc
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) September 22, 2022
3. Tucker Poolman, 5th round, 127th overall (2013), Winnipeg Jets
Poolman is the only one to match Clemmensen for longevity. The 29-year-old defenseman was drafted late in 2013 and also went through the collegiate system. He suited up in 118 games for the University of North Dakota, showing solid offensive prowess and good skating.
After spending the bulk of his first two pro seasons with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, Poolman became a regular with the Jets. He would play 120 games over three seasons in Winnipeg, posting career-best numbers in goals (4), assists (12), and points (16) over 57 games during 2019-20.
In the summer of 2021, Poolman signed with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent. He appeared in 40 games for the team in 2021-22 and is ready to suit up for them again in the coming season. Though his numbers don’t jump off the charts, playing 160 games (and counting) in the NHL is nothing to sneeze at.
4. C.J. Smith, Undrafted
Another player on our list of best NHL players from Iowa is C.J. Smith. Smith is the only undrafted player from the state of Iowa to ever crack the big leagues. Another product of the collegiate system, Smith spent three years with UMass-Lowell of Hockey East, showing a strong offensive prowess 56 goals, 69 assists, and 125 points over 120 games.
Signed to the Buffalo Sabres, Smith would make his NHL debut during 2016-17, picking up an assist in a pair of games in the blue and gold. During his four seasons with the organization, he would appear in 154 games, picking up 2 goals and an assist.
Over that time, he spent the majority of his playing time with the Rochester Americans of the AHL. He had what looked like a breakout season in 2018-19, posting 28 goals and 58 points in 62 games for the Amerks.
Smith has since signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, spending 60 games with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL in 2021-22, posting 58 points in 60 games. He is now part of the New York Rangers organization heading into 2022-23.
Per @EliasSports: C.J. Smith is the second Iowa-born player to appear in an NHL game, joining goaltender Scott Clemmensen (191 GP). pic.twitter.com/0ENXiRudbi
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/usasharenews/status/1575381696207355904?s=20&t=70Vm-poxPV6qF5-Ky2Ni4A
Credits on Featured Image: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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