TORONTO – The hit was so hard that it could only have come from a player three inches taller and 30 pounds heavier than David Clarkson.
But that didn’t keep Clarkson from doing what he is paid to do in that sort of situation.
The Toronto Maple Leafs winger immediately sought out Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Nicklas Grossmann and challenged him to a fight – a move some might question given the size difference between the men and the fact that this was a meaningless exhibition game.
“It was like trying to move a fridge,” Clarkson said of the skirmish following Toronto’s 3-2 shootout loss to Philadelphia on Monday. “I don’t really care if it’s exhibition or playing mini-sticks with a buddy. When you get hit hard like that, I’m somebody that will always address it. Or if one of my top players gets hit I’m going to address it.
“That was just me getting a little frustration out more than anything.”
And so went the first day of the rest of Clarkson’s hockey life.
Armed with the longest contract ever signed by a player in Maple Leafs history – a seven-year deal that will pay him $36.75 million – Clarkson took the ice at Air Canada Centre as a member of his boyhood team for the first time and tried to act like everything was normal.
While it didn’t end up being the sort of night where he was able to make a discernible impact, the scrap with Grossmann did provide a glimpse into the nuts-and-bolts hockey the 29-year-old is known for.
“He’s done it all of his career,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. “That’s why he is what he is. It’s not anything more. That’s what David Clarkson is.”
Clarkson is the first to acknowledge that it’s going to take a little time for him to adjust to his new surroundings. He spent eight years in the New Jersey Devils organization before leaving as a free agent in July and has found himself texting former teammates in recent days just to see what they’re up to.
Earlier this month, he even found himself back at the Prudential Center for the NHL’s media tour and almost walked into the Devils locker-room to say hi to the trainers.
The one thing that drew him to Toronto, the city where he was raised, was the nagging concern that he would regret passing up the chance if he signed elsewhere. Even though his $5.25-million annual cap hit is pricey given the style of game he plays, Clarkson maintains that he could have made even more money in another city.
“There were teams that were out that offered me more to go, but I just got this feeling in my gut,” Clarkson told sportsnet.ca during a recent sitdown. “I think if I didn’t give myself the chance to play for that team that I grew up with I might have regrets. I didn’t want that.
“Now I’ve got to go out there and it’s up to me to do the work.”
Arguably the biggest challenge he is going to face here is fighting against the natural instinct to try and live up to his huge contract. By his own admission, Clarkson isn’t a finesse player and Leafs general manager Dave Nonis has said that he doesn’t expect the winger to score 30 goals.
Carlyle believes it will be up to the coaching staff to make sure he’s in the right frame of mind.
“I think that there’s a trap at times when players do change teams and contracts become something notable – the first thing they try do is change the way they play,” he said. “That’s one thing we want to guard against.
“We want David Clarkson to play the way he’s capable of playing and the things he normally does, not try to be anything more than what he’s been before.”
If nothing else, it had to be somewhat comforting to see his straightforward performance on Monday night.
Playing with prospects Greg McKegg and Carter Ashton, Clarkson kept it simple. There were certainly no end-to-end rush attempts. The only real flash of skill came during his goal in the shootout, which could end up being a useful skill given how much the Leafs have struggled in that department.
While many look at the player and team as a perfect fit for one another, there is likely to be a feeling out period first. But there are also a number of reasons to believe they’ll find a way to make it work – starting with the one that brought them together in the first place.
“I’ve known for a long time – it was no secret – that Clarkie was a fan of the blue and white,” said defenceman Mark Fraser, a past teammate in junior, the AHL and NHL. “There could have been 29 other teams in the running and I think I knew who he wanted to sign with more.”
However, that’s a notion Clarkson himself disputes.
He was one of the few free agents that took advantage of the new window in the collective bargaining agreement to visit teams – he also stopped in Ottawa, Columbus and Edmonton – prior to officially hitting the open market.
Looking back, Clarkson believes that decision was the toughest of his life.
“When free agency hit, I didn’t just think `OK, I’m going to the Leafs,”‘ he said. “There were other teams that I went to see that had owners and GMs that were fantastic people. I didn’t make my decision right away. I wasn’t the first to sign.”
He’s here now. The marriage is underway.