Marlies Captain Rich Clune Announces His Retirement

Toronto Marlies captain Rich Clune announced today his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons and will join the Toronto Maple Leafs player development staff.

“Rich is in a class of his own when reflecting on the impact he has made on the Toronto Marlies,” said Ryan Hardy, Maple Leafs Assistant General Manager, Minor League Operations. “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.”

Over the course of his career, Clune played in 139 regular NHL games with the Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings while skating in 593 regular season AHL games with the Marlies, Milwaukee Admirals, Manchester Monarchs and Iowa Stars. Clune was originally selected by Dallas in the third round (71^st overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft.

In seven seasons with the Marlies, the Toronto native collected 25 goals and 34 assists in 256 regular season games and recorded five points in 20 playoff contests, capturing the Calder Cup championship with the Marlies in 2018. Clune 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. He also appeared in 19 games with the Maple Leafs, picking up four assists.