Clarke was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 3rd round (42nd overall) of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft,[2] and was also selected by the New England Whalers in the 2nd round (26th overall) of the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft.
Following his rookie campaign, Clarke was bounced around the minor leagues, playing in the AHL, NAHL, IHL, and EHL.
Clarke achieved his best success with the Flint Generals during the 1976–77 season when he racked up 108 points in 78 games with IHL team.
[4] In all he would play five seasons and 342 games with the Generals, scoring a total of 380 points for the Flint team.
He retired as a member of the Kalamazoo Wings after being traded to that team by Fort Wayne earlier that season.