David Clarkson (ice hockey)
David Clarkson | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 31, 1984 Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Former professional ice hockey player, coach |
| Years active | 2005–2016 (player) |
| Known for | NHL player for New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets; co-owner and director of player development for Colorado Grit (NAHL) |
David Clarkson (born March 31, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current coach. Over a decade, he competed in the National Hockey League representing the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Presently, he holds roles as co-owner and director of player development for the Colorado Grit, part of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) south division.<ref>Clarkson was part of the Kitchener Rangers squad that captured the 2003 Memorial Cup.
Junior hockey
Clarkson participated in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Marlboros minor hockey organization.<ref> His major junior journey began with the Belleville Bulls in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), before being traded to the Kitchener Rangers on October 6, 2002.<ref> He spent three seasons with Kitchener, contributing to their 2003 Memorial Cup championship.<ref>
Professional career
Undrafted after his junior tenure, Clarkson signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils on August 12, 2005. He started his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL), playing for the Albany River Rats during the 2005–06 season and primarily with the Lowell Devils in 2006–07 before being called up late in that season by New Jersey.
Clarkson debuted in the NHL on March 15, 2007, facing the Carolina Hurricanes and netted his first NHL goal in his second game. In the 2007–08 campaign, he appeared in 81 contests, tallying nine goals and totaling 22 points while leading his team with 183 penalty minutes. He also took part in the YoungStars Game at the 56th NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition, registering one goal and two assists. As a restricted free agent, Clarkson secured a two-year contract extension with New Jersey worth $800,000 annually.
During the 2008–09 season, he played every game (82) and scored 17 goals. The next year, injuries limited him to 46 games due to a broken leg; nevertheless, he managed 11 goals and 24 points. Following that season, Clarkson agreed to a three-year contract with the Devils.
Clarkson’s most productive season came in 2011–12 under coach Peter DeBoer when he achieved career highs with 30 goals and 48 points. The Devils advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals but were defeated by the Los Angeles Kings. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Clarkson signed briefly with EC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria before returning to New Jersey to net 15 goals that season. Despite his contributions, New Jersey failed to qualify for the playoffs.
As an unrestricted free agent in 2013, Clarkson inked a seven-year deal worth $36.75 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 5. Early into his tenure, he received a ten-game suspension for leaving the bench to engage in a fight during a pre-season game. Anticipated to score between 20 and 30 goals annually based on his contract value, Clarkson made his Toronto debut on October 26, 2013, scoring his first goal for the team on November 20. He was suspended again for two games following an illegal hit targeting an opponent’s head and ended his inaugural season with five goals and eleven points over 60 games.
In pre-season of 2014–15, Clarkson sustained a facial injury during a fight requiring specialist medical treatment. Hampered by injuries and unable to meet expectations, he was traded on February 26, 2015, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Nathan Horton. Across two seasons in Toronto, Clarkson appeared in 118 games accumulating 15 goals and 26 points.
While with Columbus, injuries restricted him to just 26 games over nearly two years with only four points recorded. Prior to the start of the 2016–17 season, Clarkson failed a physical examination due to significant back issues and was placed on long-term injured reserve. He never returned to NHL action following an injury sustained in March 2016.
On June 21, 2017, Clarkson’s contract along with draft selections were transferred to the Vegas Golden Knights through a prearranged trade with Columbus designed to enable Vegas’s selection of William Karlsson during the NHL expansion draft. This move allowed Columbus to create salary cap space and safeguard other prospects.
On July 23, 2019, Clarkson was traded back to Toronto together with a fourth-round draft pick in exchange for goaltender Garret Sparks. Subsequently, he was placed on injured reserve as part of roster management intended to free salary cap room for the Maple Leafs.
Personal life
Clarkson was born in Etobicoke, Ontario, and spent his childhood in the Mimico area. He and his wife Brittney are parents to five children—three girls and two boys—and currently live in Castle Pines, Colorado. In 2017, Clarkson took on the role of assistant coach for the Upper Arlington High School hockey team in Ohio, advancing to head coach the next year.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||||||||||
| 2000–01 | Port Hope Clippers | OPJHL | 47 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2001–02 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 22 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 34 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2001–02 | Aurora Tigers | OPJHL | 37 | 26 | 21 | 47 | 141 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2002–03 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2002–03 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 54 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 122 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 23 | ||||||||||
| 2003–04 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 55 | 22 | 17 | 39 | 173 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2004–05 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 31 | 33 | 21 | 54 | 145 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 40 | ||||||||||
| 2005–06 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 56 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 233 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2006–07 | Lowell Devils | AHL | 67 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 150 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2006–07 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2007–08 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 81 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 183 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2008–09 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 164 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | ||||||||||
| 2009–10 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 46 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 85 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 116 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2011–12 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 80 | 30 | 16 | 46 | 138 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 32 | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | EC Red Bull Salzburg | EBEL | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 48 | 15 | 9 | 24 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2013–14 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 60 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 93 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 2014–15 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |58 |10 |5 |15 |92 |— |— |— |— |— | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL |3 |0 |0 |0 |14 |— |— |— |— |— | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–16 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL |23 |2 |2 |4 |23 |— |— |— |— |— | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| NHL totals | 570 | 114 | 86 | 200 | 992 | 44 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 59 | ||||||||||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| CHL | ||
| Memorial Cup (Kitchener Rangers) | 2003 | |
| NHL | ||
| NHL YoungStars Game | 2008 | |