Everyone loves a good comeback story. They are emotional, they are compelling, and most of all, they are uplifting, enabling all of us to believe in the power of dedication and the will of the spirit to defy the odds.
Clarke MacArthur’s story is of this ilk. It may make you smile, it might cause you to well up in tears.
MacArthur is like Dante, the forlorn convenience store employee in the Kevin Smith cult classic Clerks. He isn’t supposed to be here today.
Here being in the lineup of the Ottawa Senators in the midst of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Senators left-winger, a 12-season NHL veteran, didn’t play a single NHL game from October 15, 2015 until April 4, 2017. Four concussions in an 18-month span was the cause of MacArthur’s absence, and the reason why most in hockey figured they’d seen the last of him on the ice.
Instead, there was MacArthur, 32, suiting up for a huge game against the Detroit Red Wings as the Senators battled for a playoff spot during the last week of the regular season.
“Being out there in front of the fans, it’s hard to describe that feeling that you get,” MacArthur said.
He’s taken it to another level during the playoffs. MacArthur scored twice during the Senators’ first-round triumph over the Boston Bruins. His first-period power-play tally in Game 2, a 4-3 Senators win, tied the score at 1-1 and was MacArthur’s first goal since April 19, 2015. Then in Game 6, he buried the series winner, eliminating the Bruins with his marker 6:30 into overtime.
He’s continued to play a solid, two-way game as the Senators battle the New York Rangers in the second round.
It’s been a long journey back. At his lowest ebb, MacArthur was unable to even play with his children without suffering post-concussion symptoms.
In January, MacArthur failed a baseline test and the Senators announced that he was done for the season. He left the team for two months. Returning in March, he took another baseline test, which he passed.
MacArthur was destined to play hockey at the top level. His uncle, Ken MacArthur, was selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1988 NHL entry draft. Clarke played in the Memorial Cup with the Medicine Hat Tigers and won a world junior title with Canada in 2005.
During a post-game interview with TSN following his first game back, MacArthur teared up as he talked about his return to the sport he loves so much.
“It’s such a great game, especially when you’re in Ontario,” MacArthur said.
The game is greater when people like MacArthur are part of it. His battle to get back to the ice was emotionally draining and fraught with pitfalls and setback, yet he persevered.
“Like any struggle in life, you’ve got to work through it,” MacArthur said.
His determination, and his passion helped MacArthur make it back, and that’s also what makes him The Guy.
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