Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark revealed one thing Mats Sundin found strange about modern NHL training. Sundin previously observed a Leafs practice session and noticed that the team was always practicing on perfect ice.
Clark and Sundin played in a much different era, particularly in Leafs history, when Maple Leaf Gardens was their home. Both players remember the conditions of the arena and how the ice was affected as a result.
Clark and Sundin also share a unique connection as they were traded for one another in 1994. They later played together when Clark returned to the organization on two separate occasions.
Because Clark and Sundin came up during a similar time, both players experienced similar training methods.
Wendel Clark Reveals One Thing Mats Sundin Questioned During Leafs Practice
Wendel Clark revealed one thing Mats Sundin questioned while watching a Toronto Maple Leafs practice. The Maple Leafs practice at Ford Performance Centre, formerly the Mastercard Centre, in Etobicoke, Ontario. It is a state-of-the-art facility with full-size NHL and IIHF rinks.
During one practice session, Clark and Sundin noticed that the players would move over to the next rink after a certain amount of time. In doing so, it ensured that the team was constantly practicing on perfect ice.
Although practicing on the best ice surface may seem ideal, Clark explained Sundin’s thought process as to why it was not.
“You know who else said [players don’t know what it’s like to score a goal late in a period?] Sitting up there, we’re watching, Mats Sundin comes in a couple of years ago. [Sundin said] ‘We never play on perfect ice, so why are we always practicing on it?'” Clark said during an appearance on Ice Guardians Podcast in 2025. “First thing Mats noticed was, how do you practice? You play, our ice is never that good. And he noticed it. You got to be able to handle it. Skating and rolling, and it’s not always perfect.”
Clark noted that practicing on a perfect ice surface was the norm for modern Leafs players.
“There’s no bad ice to play on anymore. In Toronto, they got two sessions. We don’t even have practice with snow on it anymore. They have 20 minutes of practice. If the practice is over 20 minutes, they walk across to the brand new sheet of ice,” Clark said.
Clark Describes Ice Conditions at Maple Leaf Gardens
Clark also described what the ice conditions were like when he played at Maple Leaf Gardens, now Mattamy Athletic Centre. The former Leafs captain noted that there was a significant difference in the ice surface during the playoffs.
Maple Leaf Gardens did not have air conditioning and was not the modern, high-end facility that Scotiabank Arena is. As a result, the ice could become significantly more difficult to play on, which required players to adjust.
“Maple Leaf Gardens come playoff time in May, there was water between the two blue lines because [there was] no air conditioning, no dehumidifiers, nothing,” Clark told Ice Guardians Podcast.
Ex-Leafs Captain Reveals What Mats Sundin Found Strange About Modern Training