Clark to coach Oslo ice team

Anyone who has listened to Joe Clark’s color commentary on the radio during University of Maine hockey games knows he knows the sport inside and out.

The hockey folks in the country of Norway know it, too.

Clark, 34, confirmed Saturday he has been hired to coach the Oslo team in Norway’s Elite Division, a European professional league. Clark, who flew to Norway on Sunday, will coach Oslo for the rest of this season, approximately 20 games. Then he hopes to negotiate a contract to coach there next year.

“It’s a great opportunity,” said Clark during Saturday night’s UMaine-Boston University game, the last UM broadcast he will work for some time. “Coaching is what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ll be glad to get back to it.”

Clark will have a tough first game with Oslo Tuesday night. His club will face Wayne Gretzky’s touring NHL All-Star team in Oslo.

“What a way to start!” Clark said. “It’s going to be exciting.”

Clark won’t be going in cold. After spending two seasons coaching goalies under Shawn Walsh at UMaine from 1986-88, Clark coached four years with three different elite clubs in Denmark and Norway.

The Augusta native led Aalborg of Denmark into the national finals in his first season in 1988-89, finishing as silver medalists. After a second season at Aalborg he moved on to the Herlev club of Copenhagen, finishing third nationally. He went on to coach Asker of Norway, leading the team to a .500 record in 1991-92.

Clark returned to the U.S. two years ago hoping to catch on with a pro team here. He said he had reached a verbal agreement with Nashville of the East Coast Hockey League prior to the current season, only to have the deal fall through. That’s why he had returned to working behind the microphone for Maine.