The Anaheim Ducks announced on Apr. 5 that goaltender Damian Clara and center Lucas Pettersson have been assigned from Brynas of the Swedish Hockey League to the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks’ primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League.
This move allows both players to continue their development in North America after notable performances in European leagues and international tournaments. Clara, who is 21 years old, represented Italy at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, leading all tournament goaltenders with 133 saves and achieving a .911 save percentage over four games. His performance included two games with more than 45 saves, including a record-setting effort against Switzerland.
Clara signed a three-year entry-level contract with Anaheim on June 3, 2024. He played this season for Brynas in Sweden’s top league, recording a 17-15-0 record with two shutouts and a goals-against average of 2.52 over 33 games. He also made his North American debut last season with San Diego and became the first player from Italy ever drafted by an NHL team when selected by Anaheim in the second round of the 2023 draft.
Pettersson, age 19, helped Sweden win gold at the World Junior Championship earlier this year by scoring six points across six games. In SHL play for Brynas this season he tallied ten goals and ten assists over forty-one games—ranking third among players aged twenty or younger for goals scored—and added four assists during playoff competition. Drafted thirty-fifth overall by Anaheim in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Pettersson has also contributed at various levels within Swedish hockey.
Both players bring international experience: Clara was recognized as top junior player in Sweden’s second division last year while helping his teams earn promotion; Pettersson previously co-led Sweden’s U-18 team to bronze as alternate captain at world championships.
