MacArthur not giving up on comeback

Clarke MacArthur is hoping for recovery, not retirement.

Speaking Friday for the first time since the devastating hit from Patrick Sieloff in a training-camp scrimmage that left the Senators winger with his fourth concussion in 18 months, the 31-year-old MacArthur told reporters he remains hopeful he’ll be able to resume his hockey career again soon.

Has he thought about hanging up his skates for good?

“No. I was devastated along with other people who have been around me and been through it,” MacArthur said in the club’s dressing room at the Canadian Tire Centre. “I’m standing up here today and, hopefully, the next time we do this, it will be before my first game or another step forward in a positive way.”

After what he went through last year, people might wonder why MacArthur wants to come back and take the risks that go with somebody who has his history. He suited up for only four games last season and spent the summer working hard to get back, only to suffer a setback three days into camp.

“I just still feel I’ve got logs burning on the fire,” MacArthur said. “I’m not ready to do something else. I’m going to set up a landscaping company at some point but not yet . ... I’m going to keep going.”

MacArthur spent last week meeting with two concussion specialists — one in Toronto and another in Rochester, N.Y. — getting opinions on where he’s at and what’s next in his recovery. He has resumed skating the last few days, which is a major step in the right direction if he’s going to play again.

The doctors have outlined the risks of a comeback and ultimately he’ll know if he’s good enough or not. A father of two, MacArthur will gather every ounce of info he can before he pulls on the No. 16 jersey again.

“I take my information from the doctors and we’re taking this a step at a time,” MacArthur said. “If they say, ‘We’re OK to play’ then I want to keep playing. I just feel at my age, I still have a lot to give and I’m not ready for the next chapter yet so I’m going to continue with this one if I can.”

The club’s medical staff and the experts he saw have outlined all the factors involved. He won’t be able to play again without their clearance.

“At the end of the day, they’re going to give you the dark side and the positive side,” MacArthur said. “Basically you take what you can take from it.

“I’m the only one that knows how my body feels. I feel if I can make steps in the right direction then there will be some people that won’t like it, but there will be people who do like it, too. I want to continue playing if I can.”

What was his initial reaction as he lay on the ice that Sunday morning?

“Oh no ... I mean I was looking up. The first thing I kind of remember is looking straight up at the bright lights, like I was at a Kiss concert or something,” said MacArthur, who hasn’t lost his sense of humour. “I kind of put two and two together as to what happened.

“I was upset, obviously, just going through what I went through last year, I was just praying it wasn’t going to be the same thing and so far things have been a lot better and moving on a lot quicker.”

MacArthur said he hasn’t had the sensitivity to light that existed last year and the headaches haven’t been nearly as severe.

“I’m feeling better. I still have symptoms and things going on a little bit, but I feel good enough to skate,” MacArthur said. “I just felt being out skating makes it that much easier to make the comeback if everything goes well.”

Like every concussion, there is no timeline, however, MacArthur is positive about the possibility of return.

“I asked my daughter, who’s four, ‘Do you want me to keep playing? and she was like, ‘Yeah, keep playing ’,” MacArthur said with a smile. “My wife (Jessica) definitely wants me to keep playing.”

Only time will tell if that will be reality.