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Toronto Marlies team captain Rich Clune announced his retirement after 16 seasons and will join the Toronto Maple Leafs player development staff. The 35-year-old played 139 regular season games and four playoff games for Los Angeles, Nashville, and Toronto, and in 593 regular season AHL games with the Iowa Stars, Manchester Monarchs, Milwaukee Admirals, and Marlies.
Clune was originally selected by Dallas in the third round (71st overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft, joined the Leafs in 2015, and played seven seasons for the organization, winning a Calder Cup in 2018.
“Rich is in a class of his own when reflecting on the impact he has made on the Toronto Marlies,” Maple Leafs Assistant General Manager Ryan Hardy said in a press release. “He is celebrated by all those who played and worked with him for the professionalism he exhibited day in and day out, the contagious energy that extended from the gym to the ice and the compassion he demonstrated for his teammates and all members of this club. We’re thrilled to have him join the player development staff and to continue delivering his invaluable support and guidance within our organization.”
The Toronto native collected 25 goals and 34 assists in 256 regular season games and recorded five points in 20 playoff contests, was named the ninth captain in Marlies history at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, and served as alternate captain in each of his previous seasons with the club.
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