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Sens clear MacArthur for contact, a big step in concussion recovery

Montreal Canadiens v Ottawa Senators - Game Six

OTTAWA, ON - APRIL 26: Clarke MacArthur #16 of the Ottawa Senators looks on prior to a face-off in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Montreal Canadiens during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre on April 26, 2015 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Ottawa Senators by defeating them 2-0 and move to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

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Some great news out of Ottawa on Wednesday -- Clarke MacArthur, who’s missed the entire season while recovering from a concussion suffered in training camp, has been cleared for contact in practice, per TSN 1200.

“Every day he looks better and better,” head coach Guy Boucher said. “He looks so good out there, and he’s looked good for a while now.

“We are definitely going in the right direction. You can see it in his demeanor, you can see it on the ice. He’s doing all the difficult exercises and pushing the body to the max, and now he’s allowed to do bodychecks in practices.”

MacArthur, who missed 70 games last year to a concussion, was on the receiving end of an ugly hit from teammate Patrick Sieloff during a late September practice at training camp.

The incident made waves across the league as Bobby Ryan jumped Sieloff following the hit (Chris Neil was also seeking retribution, before the Sens removed Sieloff from practice).

When healthy, MacArthur plays a key role for the Sens. He had two pretty productive campaigns for Ottawa in ’13-14 (scoring a career-high 24 goals) and ’14-15 (36 points in just 62 games played), part of the reason why the club gave him a five-year, $23.25 million extension two summers ago.

Not long after this latest concussion, MacArthur said he had no intention of retiring. Various outlets report he’s aiming for a return to the Sens lineup in January.