{"id":644160,"date":"2026-03-26T08:45:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/644160\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T08:45:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:45:21","slug":"blue-jays-ernie-clement-makes-a-hockey-admission-about-his-style-of-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/644160\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Jays\u2019 Ernie Clement makes a hockey admission about his style of play"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blue Jays\u2019 Ernie Clement makes a hockey admission about his style of play<\/a> appeared first on ClutchPoints<\/a>. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Toronto Blue Jays<\/a> continue to build momentum ahead of Opening Day<\/a> 2026 as Ernie Clement\u2019s recent comments draw a surprising connection between baseball and hockey \u2014 two sports that define Toronto\u2019s identity. The infielder gave fans an authentic glimpse into his mindset during a crossover sports moment that brought together Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs fans alike.<\/p>\n

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Clement, known for his high-energy<\/a> and contact-driven approach, has earned praise for his effort, defense, and consistency \u2014 qualities often associated with hockey players. That connection became even clearer on Wednesday when the 30-year-old attended a Maple Leafs game alongside teammate George Springer.<\/p>\n

The visit showcased the growing bond between the fanbases, with both teams chasing success in pivotal parts of their seasons. The Maple Leafs took to their official X account, formerly Twitter, to share Clement\u2019s remarks<\/a> before their 4\u20133 win over the New York Rangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to think I play baseball a little bit like a hockey player\u201d<\/p>\n

Clement\u2019s background helps explain his outlook. He grew up playing multiple sports, including hockey, and has credited that experience with shaping his competitiveness and toughness. He further stated that he perceives himself and his playing style on the diamond as akin to that of an NHL hockey player, unafraid to get dirty.<\/p>\n

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That mindset is reflected in the veteran\u2019s performance on the field\u2014his focus on contact hitting, situational awareness, and defensive versatility mirrors the grit, discipline, and team-oriented play typically seen on the ice.<\/p>\n

As the Blue Jays gear up for Opening Day<\/a>, Clement\u2019s combination of energy, adaptability, and quiet toughness will be crucial over the grind of a long season. His hockey-inspired approach could provide a subtle edge as Toronto looks to build on last season\u2019s memorable run to the World Series, a thrilling seven-game battle that ultimately fell just short. The Blue Jays open their 2026 campaign on Friday at a packed Rogers Centre, with ace Kevin Gausman set to take the mound in Game 1 of a three-game set vs. the Athletics.<\/p>\n

Related: Blue Jays facing dilemma amid pursuit of hosting All-Star Game<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: The exact moment Blue Jays\u2019 Max Scherzer knew he was returning for 2026 season<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Blue Jays\u2019 Ernie Clement makes a hockey admission about his style of play appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":644161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2378],"tags":[5,377,2554,6130,311,82446,82447,389,4,429,282,70,12124,2553],"class_list":["post-644160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto-blue-jays","tag-baseball","tag-blue-jays","tag-bluejays","tag-ernie-clement","tag-george-springer","tag-hockey-player","tag-hockey-players","tag-kevin-gausman","tag-mlb","tag-new-york-rangers","tag-toronto","tag-toronto-blue-jays","tag-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-torontobluejays"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116294603475584980","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=644160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/644161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=644160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=644160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=644160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}