Former Leaf reveals details of career-ending injury
From 2010 to 2013, Clarke MacArthur was a fairly productive middle-six forward for the Leafs. Over three seasons he scored 49 goals and registered 125 points in 195 games. He then signed with Ottawa in the summer of 2013 as a free agent and while he was productive his first two seasons in Ottawa, injuries wreaked havoc on his final two seasons. MacArthur missed all but four games during the 2015-16 season due to concussion issues and was poised to return for the 2016-17 season until he was on the receiving end of a hit during training camp.
The hit gave MacArthur another concussion and forced him to miss all but four games for the second consecutive season. MacArthur was deemed healthy enough to make his return during the Senators' run to the Stanley Cup Final where he skated in 19 playoff games registering 9 points. MacArthur was on Leafs Morning Take today with his former teammate and co-host Jay Rosehill where they reminisced about their time together with the Leafs before MacArthur touched on his career-ending injury.
MacArthur revealed that it took him years to feel better following his concussion and that it had damaged his C2 and C3 vertebrae in his neck that he still feels from time to time. "Sometimes my one eye would go blurry," said MacArthur about some of the side affects he felt while recovering from his concussion. His sudden retirement 6 years ago shocked many, and forced MacArthur to completely walk away from the game. "It left a sour taste in my mouth...I didn't watch games for the first few years," he said, before admitting that he is finally watching games again and keeping tabs on the Leafs.
He was never going to be an all-star, but MacArthur was a fan favourite in Toronto because of his personality and his work ethic on the ice. It was an unfortunate end to a good career. MacArthur now finds himself working in real estate and golfing with the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan at MJ's prestigious club in Florida, so as much as I'm sure he would have liked to continue his career, post-hockey life seems to have gone pretty well for him thus far.
