David Clarkson might decide to appeal his 10-game suspension. Clarkson's suspension was automatic and the result of him leaving the bench during Sunday's preseason game versus Buffalo to participate in a fight. His suspension doesn't include the preseason, so Clarkson will participate in Tuesday's contest against Ottawa.

David Clarkson's 10-game suspension was made official on Monday night. His Toronto career will begin with him sitting the first 10 games of the regular season, without pay, for leaving the bench to take part in a fight during Sunday's preseason game against Buffalo. Clarkson leaped off the bench to defend star player Phil Kessel and earned himself the automatic suspension as a result. He won't be eligible to return until Oct. 25 when the Leafs play in Columbus.

David Clarkson will get a 10-game suspension to start the regular season because he left the bench to fight. While it's tough to say for sure whether others involved in this Leafs-Sabres brawl will be punished, Clarkson will undoubtedly be sitting come the start of the season because he was given a 10-minute bench penalty (in addition to the fighting major) for leaving the bench to drop the gloves in this game. Clarkson just signed with the Leafs this offseason, on a seven-year deal.

David Clarkson made his preseason debut in a Leafs' jersey Monday night in Toronto. He didn't score in a 3-2 shootout loss to Philadelphia, but registered four penalty minutes and three shots. Clarkson dropped his gloves against a much bigger opponent in Nicklas Grossmann, but the two only received two minutes each for roughing. "Clarkson will play his scrappy type of game and defend his teammates," coach Randy Carlyle said. "That was a little sample of what he's about. He's done that all his career." If he can continue to do that and produce points then he could be a serviceable fantasy player this year.

David Clarkson didn't take the decision to leave the New Jersey Devils lightly. "It was tough. The amount of respect I have for Lou and how long I was there, I think he's kind of helped me develop into the person and player that I am," Clarkson said, referring to Devils GM Lou Lamoriello. "I was a bit nervous going up to his office, but I wanted to go up there and thank him in person. I only got a chance to speak to him on the phone when I decided to sign in Toronto. He knows what he's done for me, but just to really tell him what he'd done and thank him on behalf of my family. He was phenomenal to my wife over the years. He's someone that's got a very big heart and he's a very loyal person so he's really been there for me and my family at a lot of times. So I just wanted to thank him and it went well." He ended up signing a seven-year deal with his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto GM Dave Nonis doesn't expect David Clarkson to score 30 goals this season, but that doesn't mean that he can't hit that mark. "We're not penciling David Clarkson in for 30 goals, but anybody that has put up 30 at any time in his career has got a bit of a touch," Nonis said. Clarkson potted 30 markers in 2011-12 with New Jersey and he scored 15 during the lockout-shortened season. The 29-year-old winger received a seven-year/$36.75 million contract from the Leafs on July 5. He should provide his new club with points and penalty minutes in 2013-14, which will make him a solid fantasy asset.

David Clarkson thinks having more Ontario-born players on the Toronto Maple Leafs is a good thing. "There haven't been many (Leafs) from the area," said Clarkson. "I'm lucky enough to play in this city where I wore that jersey as a kid. Bringing in guys from the home town is a great thing. We know what it's about. We have a lot of good hockey players in this area. It's great to have some of us come home and play." The Leafs have been criticized in the past for not trying to take advantage of Ontario-born players, who want to show off in front of family and friends. The club added Toronto-born forwards Clarkson and Dave Bolland to their ranks this off-season and they have five other local products who could be on their roster this year. However, Leafs' management insists they are simply bringing in the best players they have available to them.

David Clarkson says he didn't take No. 71 for a jersey number with his new team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, because it's No. 17 in reverse. He's says No. 71 is a number he has loved from his past. "I wore 71 in ball hockey as a kid growing up," Clarkson said. Much has been made that Clarkson - nicknamed "Wendel Clarkson" was a big fan of former Leaf Wendel Clark, who famously wore No. 17. No Leaf wears No. 17 now. Clarkson said 17 is off-limits to him as it was when he was a kid growing up in Toronto. "As a kid growing up, everyone wanted 17," said Clarkson. "You couldn't go into a team and say: I want your number. Being from this city, everyone had it."

Wendel Clark thinks Toronto fans will like David Clarkson. Clarkson inked a seven-year deal with the Maple Leafs and has already drawn comparisons to Clark. "He'll be received well," Clark said. He added, "you don't put pressure on one guy. It's a team thing. Dave will come out and play his style. Especially at home. We're trying to own the home-ice building. It's our ice. Win, lose or draw, we want to make sure the other team knows they played a road game. I think his style suits coming in here. (The ACC) is really a road building with 10 hometown boys on every other team." A certain degree of pressure is inevitable given the size of Clarkson's contract, but the team certainly isn't designed to revolve around his successes and failures.

David Clarkson is happy to return home now that he's with the Maple Leafs. The winger signed a seven-year deal on Friday. "These last couple of days have been tough, we've gone to see many places," Clarkson said. "But the more in our heart we thought today, being close to home, wearing that (Wendel Clark) jersey when I was young, idolizing some of the guys who played here ... It all meant something to me. There were three or four teams I was kicking back and forth (Ottawa included). At the end of the day, this is where I wanted to be."