Calle Clang returns to Rögle BK after solid San Diego season

Calle Clang left San Diego after proving he could handle a starter’s workload, then headed back to a familiar home in Sweden. The 24-year-old goalie signed a two-year contract with Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League after appearing in 36 games for the Gulls in 2025-26, finishing 18-9-9 with a 2.80 goals-against average, a .897 save percentage and three shutouts.

The move is a reminder that the AHL is often a proving ground, but not always a straight ladder to the NHL. San Diego had already started leaning toward Damian Clara in the Calder Cup Playoffs, and Clang’s departure removes an experienced goaltender from the Ducks organization at a time when the depth chart is tilting younger. For a team trying to manage timing in net, Clang’s exit matters as much for what it leaves behind as for where he is going.

His path also shows how long the climb can be before a goalie finds the right fit. Clang was drafted 77th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020, then had his rights traded to Anaheim on March 21, 2022 as part of the Rickard Rakell deal that also sent Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Simon and a 2022 second-round pick to the Ducks. Before settling into North American hockey, he spent parts of three SHL seasons with Rögle BK and represented Sweden at the 2021-22 World Juniors, where he went 2-0 with a shutout in two games.

His North American numbers suggest a goalie who gradually earned trust. Clang logged an 11-win, two-shutout first half that earned him a place in the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford, Illinois, and his career AHL line entering the move stood at 104 games, a 40-41-14 record, a 3.03 GAA and a .896 save percentage. He also spent time with the Tulsa Oilers in the ECHL, where he went 1-1-0 with a 2.05 GAA and a .931 save percentage.

Clang’s return to Rögle, where he had already played in parts of the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 SHL seasons, underlines the reality for young goalies in the AHL: a solid year can still lead to a different opportunity, and sometimes the next step comes back in Europe rather than further up the North American ladder.