Cliff Pu
Clifford Pu is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who most recently played for Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League. He was selected 69th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
Playing career
Youth
Pu played at the AAA hockey level since the Atom age group. He was named an International Silverstick Atom AAA All Star in 2009. In his final year of minor ice hockey, he played for the Toronto Marlboros Minor Midget AAA team. He was seen as one of the top prospects in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection after finishing 4th on his team in points.Junior
Pu was drafted in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection by the Oshawa Generals. He appeared in 17 games with the Generals, scoring two goals and adding an assist. On January 1, 2015, Pu was traded to the London Knights along with Josh Sterk and three draft picks, in exchange for Michael McCarron and Dakota Mermis. In the 24 games he appeared in for the Knights following the trade, Pu scored four goals and added two assists.In his first full season with the Knights, Pu recorded 12 goals and 19 assists. In the following season, he greatly improved on his totals, leading the Knights in regular season scoring. On January 3, 2018, the Knights traded Pu to the Kingston Frontenacs for Nathan Dunkley and draft picks.
Professional
In 2016, Pu became eligible for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 83rd ranked North American skater by the NHL's Scouting Service. He was drafted in the third round, 69th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres. On October 23, 2017, Pu signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres.Pu was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on August 2, 2018, along with future draft picks in exchange for forward Jeff Skinner.
After attending the Hurricanes' 2018 training camp, Pu was assigned to begin the 2018–19 season, with Carolina's AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. He struggled to translate his offensive game to the professional level and was reassigned to the ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, on February 9, 2019. After scoring at a point-per-game through five appearances with the Everblades, Pu was returned to the AHL. Having contributed with one goal and five assists for six points in 44 games with Charlotte, Pu was traded by the Hurricanes to the Florida Panthers in exchange for future considerations, which correlated with the Checkers' acquisition of Tomáš Jurčo, on February 25, 2019.
On October 8, 2020, Pu was traded for the third time during his entry-level contract by the Panthers to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Markus Nutivaara.
With his contract concluding with the Blue Jackets, Pu was not tendered a qualifying offer and became a free agent. On August 13, 2021, with limited opportunities in North America, he embarked on a European career, agreeing to a one-year contract with Austrian club, the Vienna Capitals of the ICE Hockey League.
On June 20, 2024, Slovak Extraliga team HK Dukla Michalovce announced that Pu had been signed to a one-year contract. After just 7 games with the team, Pu was released on October 10th, 2024. On December 12, 2024, he signed with HC La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss League until the end of the season.
On July 10, 2025, Pu signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers in the EIHL. However, on December 13th, 2025, Pu was released after pleading guilty to assaulting a woman.
Personal life
Pu was born in North York, Ontario and was raised in Richmond Hill, Ontario.Pu has since been arrested for domestic violence, and has pled guilty to two charges of assault by beating on the 15th December 2025. His sentencing will take place in February 2026.