Breakthrough Between the Pipes: Calle Clang's Road to AHL All-Star
Feb 11, 2026
By Ashley Rubin/SanDiegoGulls.com
Calle Clang is turning more and more heads while protecting the crease for the San Diego Gulls this season.
The 23-year-old Sweden native is competing in his third full AHL season and has been finding success beyond what he has seen in previous years. The goaltender has proved himself enough to be named an AHL All-Star.
Clang will appear in the AHL All-Star Classic representing the Gulls and Pacific Division alongside his fellow San Diego teammate Tim Washe. The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic will be held Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Ill., where Clang will be the fourth Gulls goaltender at the mid-season classic. The goaltender has posted an 11-3-4-2 record, matching his AHL career high in wins, with the first two shutouts of his AHL career leading up to the All-Star break. He has recorded a 2.39 GAA and .906 SV% in his 19 games played so far this season, ranking fifth among all AHL goaltenders in GAA and second among Pacific Division goalies.
"Well, first of all, just very proud of myself and very, very thankful for the opportunity," Clang said. "I couldn't have done this without my teammates and the coaches and the whole support from the organization throughout this season has been incredible. So, I see this as a team effort, and I'm so glad to be selected."
"I just feel like I'm more comfortable [this season]. I feel more confident each and every game. Obviously, I got the trust from the coaches to play a lot as well, which has really helped. So I wouldn't say I've done anything differently, just I feel more comfortable and more confident."
Before appearing in the AHL, Clang found success in his journey to the league. Calle was named the HockeyAllsvenskan Best Junior in 2020-21, represented Sweden at back-to-back World Junior Championships in 2021 and 2022 where he earned a bronze medal, helped Sweden earn a gold medal at the 2019 World U-18 Championship, and bronze medals at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2019 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
This season presented some personal challenges for Clang as he took a short personal leave between Nov. 8 and Dec. 6, 2025. He has seen the majority of his games after the leave, playing in only three before. Since returning, Clang has upped his game to become one of the top goalies in the division.
"I've gone through some tough moments earlier in the year, so this is like a big reward for me," Clang said. "I don't take this for granted, and I'm super excited and pumped up."
In his first appearance back, Calle saved 18-of-19 shots put on by the Texas Stars, recording his first win of the season. He went on to allow only one goal in his next three starts, posting a .955 SV% in his four games between Dec. 7 and Dec. 16, one of only three Gulls goaltenders to give up one goal or fewer in four straight starts.
"I think Clangers put the work in, and it's all starting to pay off," Gulls goaltending coach Jeff Glass said. "It's been a couple years getting accustomed to the league, to North America, to everything. He's put the work in, and now he's kind of reaping the rewards of it. I don't think his process has changed too much, but everything he's been practicing is starting to happen in the games now, and he's starting to kind of understand the game as a whole and I'm really happy for him."
On Dec. 28, 2025, Clang recorded his first AHL career shutout against the Abbotsford Canucks. Not long after, Clang recorded his second career shutout on Jan. 16, once again over the Canucks. While the shutout is a well-known accomplishment for a goalie, Clang cares more about the success of the team.
"Honestly, [I don’t think about it] very much, just mostly the wins," Clang said on what the shutouts mean. "As long as I can contribute to the team winning, I'm super happy. Shutouts obviously, it's a lot of fun, but the wins are the most important ones."
The Gulls are currently in playoff position and if they hold their spot will make their first playoff appearance since 2022. Clang’s success in the crease has contributed greatly to the success the Gulls are seeing as a whole.
"It’s huge," Glass said. "This year Clangers proven more than just being able to stop pucks. He's given the team confidence right now, and I think the team enjoys playing in front of him. As a coach, we have confidence playing him in the games, knowing that we can get a win. I think Clanger has taken a leadership role now as well with the team, whereas guys can rely on him to play consistent every game and be a force back there."
Just as the team relies on Clang to back them up, he also relies on his team to help him out. The team unit is something the goalie contributes to his success, especially the collective confidence. The team goes into the break with a 21-14-6-3 record and 51 points, putting them in sixth place in the Pacific Division.
"It feels like we have a good relationship between us, goalies and the defensemen and even the forwards as well," Clang said. "I feel like we're kind of playing off each other right now. We're helping each other out, and sometimes they bail me out, and sometimes I bail them out. So, I think we have a really good connection right now, and it's been like that for a long time now."
San Diego will have 28 games remaining in the regular season following the All-Star break. Clang and the rest of the San Diego Gulls look to keep their momentum going as they seek a deep playoff run.
"Well, I mean, as a team, we want to make the playoffs first of all, and then once we're there, we want to go deep," Clang said. "But for me personally, I just want to keep playing a lot, keep playing good and get some more wins."
The focus on improvement both individually and as a team reflects what the young goaltender has accomplished this season. As Clang’s comfort level has grown, so has his ability to find success in his game. The future looks bright for Clang as he continues the rest of the 2025-26 season and progresses his career.
"This is the next part of Clanger's game," Glass said. "He's going to continue to work on taking that next step and really asserting himself as one of the elite goalies in the American Hockey League. I think he's establishing himself now as one of the top guys, but the next step for him is going to be consistency and finishing the season just as strong as he started it."