Blackhawks Release Clark

The Chicago Blackhawks have released forward Wendel Clark, who fell out of favor with the team and had only two goals in 13 games.

Teams have until Friday to claim the 33-year-old player. If he clears waivers, the Blackhawks and his agent have negotiated a buyout that reports say is close to $1 million.

Clark, who scored 32 goals last season with Tampa Bay and Detroit, signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract in August with a club option for another season.

Recently, however, Clark had been demoted to fourth line, and Chicago general manager Bob Murray has criticized him harshly for his performance.

"He's not working hard enough and he's not scoring, so I'm not going to hurt the club anymore," Murray said earlier this week from Los Angeles, where the struggling team began a seven-game road trip. "I'm willing to admit when I made a mistake."

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