Ahead of their two game set with the Bakersfield Condors this week, the Calgary Wranglers have formally announced their leadership group for the 2024-25 season. Most importantly, they’ve named their second-ever captain: forward Clark Bishop.

Bishop will be joined by alternate captains Alex Gallant, Dryden Hunt, Jarred Tinordi and Jakob Pelletier. He inherits the C from Brett Sutter, who retired during the off-season to become an assistant coach with the Wranglers.

The 28-year-old Bishop is a product of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and is currently in his ninth professional season after spending four seasons with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Originally a fifth-round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2014, Bishop has played a lot of hockey since going pro in a lot of different places. In addition to suiting up for 47 NHL games with Carolina and Ottawa, he’s played in the AHL with Charlotte, Belleville and the Wranglers, and even plied his trade as a 20-year-old with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades.

Since arriving in Calgary as a free agent in the 2022 off-season, Bishop has fit right into the Wranglers’ system. In his first season (2022-23), he formed a great checking line alongside Sutter and Kevin Rooney. In 2023-24, with the Wranglers losing key players to call-ups throughout the season as NHL players departed the Flames, Bishop was a tremendous stabilizing force for the team and served as an alternate captain. And so far this season he’s been clutch for the Wranglers; four of his six goals have been game-winners, all scored in consecutive games.

Bishop has played over 300 AHL games, and he’s seen any number of game situations during his career. For a young, impressionable Wranglers team, he’s someone who role models the right behaviours on and off the ice, and someone that can be relied upon to step up in key game situations. He’s a superb selection for their second captain.

The Wranglers are back in action on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Saddledome when they face the Bakersfield Condors, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.