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Clint Malarchuk, a former NHL goaltender, has transitioned into a dedicated mental health advocate and motivational speaker.
Featured Clint Malarchuk discussing his journey of overcoming adversity on and off the ice, highlighting his experiences of surviving life-threatening incidents.
A racehorse named Malarchuk, after Clint Malarchuk, was purchased through Fasig-Tipton Digital. The horse was named in honor of the NHL goalie who survived a severe neck injury during a game.
Listed as a keynote speaker, Clint Malarchuk shares his personal story, including his battle with alcoholism and unaddressed PTSD, in his engagements.
Clint Malarchuk was featured on The Players' Tribune's 'Blindsided Podcast', where he discussed his career as a former NHL goaltender.
Featured in an episode titled 'The troubled life of an ice hockey hero', discussing his horrific injury during a game in 1989 while playing for the Buffalo Sabres.
Listed as a speaker for their 2025 conference, mentioning his past role as a goaltending coach for NHL teams including the Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Atlanta Thrashers, and Calgary Flames.
Clint Malarchuk was born on May 1, 1961, in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. He began his professional ice hockey career as a goaltender, playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1981 to 1992. His career included stints with the Quebec Nordiques, Washington Capitals, and Buffalo Sabres. Malarchuk was drafted 74th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Nordiques on December 13, 1981. During his NHL career, he played 337 games, achieving 141 wins and 12 shutouts.
Malarchuk is notably recognized for a life-threatening incident during a March 22, 1989, game while playing for the Buffalo Sabres, when his neck was cut by a skate blade, severing his carotid artery and partially cutting his jugular vein. Despite the severe injury, he returned to the ice within eleven days. Following his NHL playing career, Malarchuk extended his involvement in hockey through coaching roles. He served as a goaltending coach for NHL teams including the Florida Panthers (2002–03), Columbus Blue Jackets (2006–09), Atlanta Thrashers (2010), and Calgary Flames (2011–14). He also held head coach and assistant general manager positions for minor league teams like the Las Vegas Thunder and Idaho Steelheads.
Off the ice, Malarchuk has candidly shared his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcoholism, particularly after his near-fatal on-ice injury and a subsequent self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2008. He has since become a prominent mental health advocate, authoring an autobiography, “The Crazy Game” (published as “A Matter of Inches—How I Survived in the Crease and Beyond” in the US) in 2014. Malarchuk actively participates in public speaking engagements across various organizations, discussing mental health, recovery, and resilience. He and his wife, Joanie, frequently speak together at events, promoting awareness and support for mental health issues.
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