Former NHL net minder Clint Malarchuk is pictured in this undated photo. He has a well known history on the ice, but he'll be sharing his real life stories as well at an upcoming fundraising TRU Wolfpack breakfast.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Thompson Rivers University
June 24, 2019 - 2:30 PM
KAMLOOPS - Famous NHL goaltender Clint Malarchuck will be speaking Sept. 24 at the TRU WolfPack scholarship breakfast.
Ticket proceeds will go towards the scholarship program, which works with student athletes.
Malarchuk has played in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques, Washington Capitals, and Buffalo Sabres. He has a save percentage of .885, 141 wins, 45 ties, 12 shutouts and 130 losses.
He later served as head coach of the IHL Las Vegas Thunder and then as a goaltending coach and consultant with the NHL Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames, and Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets).
"We are thrilled to welcome Clint as our feature speaker at this year’s breakfast. Many of our supporters will remember Clint from his time on the ice as an NHL goaltender, but he has a powerful story to share about his life away from the rink," said WolfPack athletics director Curtis Atkinson, in a press release.
"As a passionate mental health advocate, he now works to end the stigma of mental illness. His life story and message will touch those in attendance and I know he is excited to speak to our student-athletes and our supporters.”
Although he is well-known for his time on the ice, in 1989 he nearly lost his life on ice when someone cut his neck with their skate blade. The goaltender began struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, and depression.
His wife, Joanie Malarchuk, was witness to one of his worst episodes. He was in a dark period, and had tried to kill himself with a gunshot. The shot injured his mouth, tongue, and left the bullet in his nasal cavity. She is also an advocate for mental health.
“Our scholarship breakfast is our most important annual fundraiser as it raises significant funds for student-athlete scholarships,” said Atkinson. “The opportunity to have Clint as our keynote is an amazing opportunity for WolfPack supporters to hear an important message while supporting student-athletes.”
The scholarship breakfast began in 2014 and has seen other notable speakers such as Olympian Kelsey Serwa, NBA player Kelly Olynyk, NHL player Sheldon Kennedy, and soccer player Bob Lendarduzzi.
The breakfast takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 a.m. Tickets are available by clicking here and logging onto the events page.
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