Brett Clark thinks it might be safe to check out of his hotel.
The Avalanche defenseman has resided at a local Marriott since the NHL season started, not sure if he would have to pack his bags at a moment’s notice.
A hockey career that has been spent mostly in the minor leagues has conditioned Clark not to get too comfortable at the NHL level.
But all indications are he will stay with the Avs this season.
Clark’s wife and child will leave their year-round home in Regina, Saskatchewan, soon to come live with him, probably in a rented house.
Clark, 28, has played in 12 of Colorado’s 13 games and gradually has seen his playing time increase. He played 20 minutes, 4 seconds in Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss against Dallas. On opening night in Edmonton, Clark played 9:37.
“It’s been fun. I’m just trying to work as hard as I can,” Clark said. “I’ve just always tried to stay positive.”
Clark said staying upbeat about a career in the NHL wasn’t always easy in recent years. He spent the majority of the past three seasons playing for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.
Before that, he had minor- league stints in Chicago and Orlando.
“I still always kept the dream,” Clark said. “I didn’t want to give up on the NHL. I think with the new rules this year, it’s helped my game.”
Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said: “Clarkie has done some nice things with the puck.
“He’s been used in a lot of areas. He’s playing well and he’s playing smart.”
Clark already has surpassed his NHL high for points in a season, with five.
That is significant, considering he played 61 games for the Montreal Canadiens in 1998-99, some of the time as a forward.
“Maybe (Quenneville) saw something in me; I don’t know,” Clark said. “I think the new rules have helped my skating game and I think I can move the puck around.”
Clark also has been used on a Colorado penalty-killing unit that is ranked fifth in the league (86.7 percent) and has played occasional shifts on the power play.
His play has forced Quen- neville to sit other players, most often defensemen Bob Boughner and Kurt Sauer.
“It’s not an enviable position to be in for them, but they’ve been professional about it, and it’s been noticed by the coaching staff and by the players in the room,” Quenneville said.
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
