MacARTHUR HOPES TO BE BACK
Ailing Sen not giving up on return
The calls for Clarke MacArthur to retire have already been heard since he suffered his fourth concussion in 18 months on Sunday.
But the Senators forward wants everybody to know he intends to be back as soon as he can.
As his teammates prepared for a pre-season test against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Thursday night, the veteran winger took to his Instagram account around lunch time to say he’s on the road to recovery and is hopeful that, if all goes well, he’ll be able to play again soon.
MacArthur, who looked dazed while being helped off the ice after being hit in the corner by blueliner Patrick Sieloff during a Red and White scrimmage Sunday at the Canadian Tire Centre, still faces a long road ahead if he’s going to pull on the No. 16 jersey again.
The 31-year-old MacArthur, who suited up for only four games last season after suffering a concussion on Oct. 14 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, wanted to let people know this concussion hasn’t been nearly as severe as some he’s dealt with in the past.
The picture MacArthur posted with his statement showed him in the team’s gym while doing some work with conditioning coach Chris Schwarz. If all goes well, he’ll start riding the bike Friday.
“We have been encouraged by how my body had reacted in the days since the injury and the team has been great to give me all the time I need to rest and recover,” MacArthur wrote on Instagram.
“I will continue to consult with doctors and my entire support group, but I felt it was important to let everyone know that my intentions are to work toward returning to the ice soon.”
Before MacArthur, who is in the second year of $23.5 million contract, can get back on the ice, he’ll have to get clearance from doctors and that’s where he and the Senators are going to have a big decision to make because the medical staff encouraged him not to return last season and take more time to rest.
When it comes to concussions, the Senators have plenty of knowledge about this subject on their staff.
Dr. Mark Aubry, one of the club’s physicians who also acts as the chief medical officer for Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation, is an expert on concussions, while Senators athletic therapist Gerry Townend is a member in the NHL’s concussion working group.
Instead of letting MacArthur play the final few games in late March and early-April, everybody involved felt it was in his best interests to sit out meaningless games and to take the summer to recover and get ready to come back to training camp in September feeling 100 per cent.
Up until that hit from Sieloff on Sunday, all was going according to plan.
But MacArthur wondered aloud in the off-season how he was going to react when he got that first big hit. As he lay on the ice, many thought this might be the last time he skated as a member of the Senators and it was scary to watch him having to be helped off the ice by Dion Phaneuf and Chris Neil.
The Senators’ No. 1 concern is to make sure MacArthur has a normal life off the ice before they sit down to discuss the hockey part of the equation. Last year, there were times he was unable to stand the light of day without feeling the effects of the concussion, but this one hasn’t caused him those types of symptoms.
MacArthur tried to absolve Sieloff of any blame, but the defenceman’s status in the organization has slipped dramatically. He was supposed to play Tuesday night in a pre-season game in Buffalo, but didn’t make the trip. Wednesday he skated with the players earmarked for the club’s AHL affiliate in Binghamton.
MacArthur has appreciated the concern for his well-being and indicated it could have happened to anyone.
“First off, I want to thank the team and its fans for all of the support after the unfortunate incident on Sunday. To me, it was simply a hockey play that ended in a hit causing me to suffer a concussion, a play that could happen at any point,” MacArthur said.
He still feels like he’s got a lot of hockey left to play and the fire still burns inside, which is why MacArthur went through a rigorous off-season to work toward coming back this year.
The fact MacArthur wants to return is no surprise, but he’s going to have to clear some hurdles before that becomes reality.