Kyle Clifford's hometown excited to see his Maple Leafs debut

Ayr-native playing for first time with Maple Leafs From CTV Kitchener's Krista Simpson: Hockey player Kyle Clifford was traded to Toronto Wednesday after playing for the last decade in L.A.

KITCHENER — A special moment: that's what the pride of Ayr, Kyle Clifford, had to say on Friday night as he donned the blue and white for his first game as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

He was traded from the LA Kings earlier this week.

The Waterloo Region native saw plenty of ice time against the Anaheim Ducks, with two shots on goal, three hits and four penalty minutes.

The Leafs beat the Ducks 4-5 in overtime.

Clifford's family and friends back home were proud to watch the moment.

"The really neat thing about Cliffy growing up is every team he was on, he wasn't necessarily always the best player, but he was probably the most loved player, he was the hardest worker," says family friend Tim Barrie.

Clifford's uncle, Frank Niereisel, says it'll be nice to have him back on Canadian soil.

"It's great to have him coming home," he says.

"Ten years away has been a long time, but the family's excited."

People in Ayr have been looking forward to the homecoming since the trade was announced on Wednesday.

His jersey hangs in the North Dumfries Community Centre.