Toronto Maple Leafs

David Clarkson (born March 31, 1984) is a Canadian hockey forward who currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clarkson won aMemorial Cup in 2003 with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.Following a successful junior career, the undrafted winger was signed as a free agent by the New Jersey Devils in August 2005. He was assigned to the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League in September 2005. He would go on to play the majority of the 2006–2007 season with the Devils new farm team, the Lowell Devils, before being a late season call-up to New Jersey. David's younger brother Doug Clarkson, played for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.Clarkson played his first game on March 15, 2007, at Carolina. Clarkson scored his first NHL goal and recorded his first assist with the New Jersey Devils the next game in a 7–2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He would go on to finish the season with New Jersey, including 3 playoff games, and start the next season in the NHL.Clarkson played in the YoungStars Game in Atlanta during the 56th NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists. He was the lone Devils representative at the festivities, as Martin Brodeur (who was voted in) did not participate. He was the second consecutive Devil to make an impact at this event, as Zach Parise took part the previous year.Clarkson ranked 7th in the NHL in penalty minutes (183) during the 2007–08 season. His knack for fighting and precise checking combined with his speed and aggression has made him popular with fans in New Jersey. After the Devils signed Brendan Shanahanmidway through the 2008–09 NHL season, Devils broadcasters Doc Emrick and Glenn Resch were amused by a photograph of an extremely young Clarkson at Shanahan's hockey camp. In Shanahan's first game back with the Devils, the two played on the checking line together.During the NHL lockout, Clarkson signed abroad in Austria with EC Red Bull Salzburg in the 2012–13 season. Clarkson started the season on fire, scoring 15 points in 12 games before slumping and only putting up another 9 points in the remaining 36 games as theNew Jersey Devils failed to the make the playoffs.Clarkson did not resign with the Devils during the offseason, becoming an Unrestricted free agent. On July 5, 2013, Clarkson signed a 7-year, $36.75M contract, with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. The signing brought on comparisons to Leafs great Wendel Clark for his and Clarkson's similar hard-nosed style, and Clarkson himself switched his jersey number to the reverse of Clark's No. 17, No. 71. On September 22, 2013 a brawl erupted during a preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres during which Clarkson left the bench to fight. He was given an automatic 10-game suspension by the NHL.Clarkson was born in Etobicoke, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. Clarkson grew up in the Mimico neighbourhood of Etobicoke. On March 4, 2011, David and his wife Brittney welcomed daughter McKinnley.