The Nordiques were dissatisfied with back-up goaltender Michel Plasse at the time and decided to give Malarchuk a look, in spite of his young age (he had just turned 20 a few months earlier).
The Nordiques favored a wide-open style of play at the time, and Malarchuk was left largely to his own devices and faced 37 shots, letting 10 goals past him, in a wild 10–7 loss, in what was the highest scoring game in the history of the Nassau Coliseum.
Quebec traded Plasse to the Hartford Whalers later that season in return for John Garrett, addressing the team's need for a reliable back-up goaltender for Dan Bouchard.
He became the Nordiques' primary goaltender in 1985–86, keeping the job for two seasons, although there was continual controversy over whether he or local favorite Mario Gosselin should be the starter.
As they collided, Tuttle's skate blade hit the right front side of Malarchuk's neck, severing his carotid artery and partially cutting his jugular vein.
The excessive amount of blood that Malarchuk lost caused eleven fans to faint, two more to have heart attacks, and three players to vomit on the ice.
[6] Local television cameras covering the game cut away from the sight of Malarchuk bleeding after noticing what had happened, and Sabres announcers Ted Darling and Mike Robitaille were audibly shaken.
Malarchuk's life was saved due to quick action by the Sabres' athletic trainer, Jim Pizzutelli, a former US Army combat medic who had served in the Vietnam War.
Malarchuk served as head coach and assistant general manager of the Las Vegas Thunder in the 1998–99 season and the Idaho Steelheads until 2000.
He was depicted riding bareback in a front-page newspaper photo while playing for the Washington Capitals, and he was later given horses as a contractual bonus with the Las Vegas Thunder.
[23][24] Following its release, Clint and Joanie Malarchuk were public speakers about topics covered in the book such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, support for alcoholics in recovery, suicide prevention, and psychological trauma.
[26] They showed the video footage of his sports injury to the audience with the advice that it is potentially triggering to people who are uncomfortable with images of blood and trauma.
[27] Malarchuk and his wife now travel and engage in a number of league-related and independent events having to do with mental health, OCD, and depression in retired athletes.
[28] On October 7, 2008, Malarchuk suffered what, according to his wife Joan, was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chin from a .22 caliber rifle at his residence in Fish Springs, Nevada, after a period of stress and domestic problems.
[9] The Canadian Press reported that Joan Malarchuk informed authorities that her husband was not supposed to consume alcohol as he was on prescription medications for obsessive-compulsive disorder, but was doing so anyway at the time of the shooting.
[32][33] Malarchuk later said he believed he was overmedicated dating back to when he was prescribed an anti-psychotic sedative while playing pro hockey in San Diego.