Clint Malarchuk

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Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Height Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg)
Pro Clubs	Quebec Nordiques Washington Capitals Buffalo Sabres
Nationality	Canada
Born	May 1, 1961, Grande Prairie, AB, CAN
NHL Draft	74th overall, 1981 Quebec Nordiques
Pro Career	1981 – 1996

Clint Malarchuk (May 1, 1961, Grande Prairie, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the NHL between 1981 and 1992. He is probably best known for an injury sustained during one of the most horrific in-game incidents in sports history.

[edit] Playing career

Malarchuk played for the Québec Nordiques, Washington Capitals, and Buffalo Sabres throughout his career. He was a very competent goalie, with a career record of 141 wins, 130 losses, 45 ties, and 12 shutouts, and a 0.885 save percentage.

The notable incident occurred during a game on March 22, 1989 between the visiting St. Louis Blues and Malarchuk's Buffalo Sabres. Steve Tuttle of the Blues and Uwe Krupp of the Sabres collided at the mouth of the goal, and Tuttle's skate caught Malarchuk on the neck, slicing open his external carotid artery. With pools of blood collecting on the ice, Malarchuk somehow left the ice under his own power with the assistance of his team's trainer, Jim Pizzutelli. Many spectators were physically sickened by the sight with seven fainting and two suffering heart attacks while two teammates vomited on the ice [1]. Local television cameras covering the game instantly cut away from the sight of Malarchuk.

Malarchuk spent only one night in the hospital, and was back on the ice with his team two weeks later. However, his performance declined over the next few years, to the point that Malarchuk left the NHL. He battled obsessive-compulsive disorder (attributed to his injury) for a time, but he eventually returned to hockey, in the International Hockey League. After retiring as a player, Malarchuk continued his hockey career as a coach.

After Malarchuk's injury, the NHL instituted a policy requiring all goalies to wear neck protection.