On Wednesday, the Boston Bruins brought Cliffy Hockey back on a two-year deal.
Connor Clifton, who was with the Bruins’ organization from 2017-23, did not always enjoy smooth sailing during his time away. He admitted he struggled out of the gate in Buffalo, and he persevered through the 2025-26 season in Pittsburgh.
“When I first got to Buffalo, I think everything was so different structurally, so I struggled really early on in Buffalo,” Clifton said. “I eventually figured [it] out, played some good hockey, ended my first season. And then second season was okay in Buffalo. I ended up getting traded to [Pittsburgh], so new opportunity there. Last year, I mean, as a whole, it was a pretty poor season for me. I mean, from a points standpoint, from a games played standpoint, but I do think there was a lot of perseverance on the way.”
Clifton sat as a healthy scratch 32 times in Pittsburgh, but he carved a role in the lineup toward the end of the regular season.
Through it all, he is proud of how he handled the adversity: “I wasn’t dealt an easy hand, and that’s okay, right? I just had to put the work in and really wait for a chance. There’s a lot of moving pieces on every team.”
That did not drive Don Sweeney or the Bruins’ front office away from the reunion, though. The familiarity with the right-shot defenseman also helped.
“No, I think Connor remains confident. He spoke about it a little bit when I touched base with him, you know, publicly he said the confidence maybe comes and goes when you’re out of the lineup just a little bit, so that was a challenge for him as he was through Buffalo and Pittsburgh,” Sweeney said after Clifton signed. “We know Connor’s game. We know how comfortable he is walking back into our locker room to contribute there on and off the ice. The competitive nature of the player hasn’t changed at all, and he brings an energy that our group is going to appreciate.”
So did the need for a right-shot defenseman, which the Bruins addressed twice. That group now includes Clifton, Charlie McAvoy, Will Borgen, and Henri Jokiharju, giving the Bruins four NHL-caliber right-shot options on the blue line.
Still, Clifton does not regret his time in Pittsburgh, but recognizes his best season came before he left the Bruins.
“It was a year of growth, and I do think I was playing some really good hockey at certain points of the season,” Clifton said. “Again, I think if I take it back three years, my last year in Boston was the best hockey I’ve played, and I think I’ve got a lot of hockey left in the tank.”
Clifton set career-high numbers in goals (five), assists (18), points (23), and plus-minus (plus-20) during the 2022-23 season. That summer, he cashed in on a three-year deal ($3.33 million AAV) in Buffalo.
Clifton knew he had priced himself out of Boston when he signed in Buffalo, but there were never any hard feelings. He said it was a “pretty easy decision to come back and wear the Bruins sweater,” and he showed up to his media availability in a black Bruins shirt.
Health has not been a concern, and Clifton pointed to his trip to the World Championships as proof. Now that he is back in Boston, he is hopeful to play “Cliffy Hockey” again. And for as much as this signing brings Clifton back to the place where he played his best hockey, it’s also personal.
“I loved being a Bruin,” Clifton said. “I told one of my friends that I work out with, and he’s like, ‘You were such a Bruin,’ and it made me feel really good because I have missed my time in Boston a lot.”
