TORONTO

Family, friends, fitness folks and the front office are all getting behind David Clarkson to make sure failure does not mark his second season with the Maple Leafs.

The team needs Clarkson to be as robust and rejuvenated as he looked and sounded Monday when the club had more than 20 regulars and farmhands show up for an informal workout at the MasterCard Centre.

“It’s easy to have excuses, but you go back to work,” said Clarkson, who couldn’t hit the reset button fast enough after 2013-14. “Everybody goes through tough times, tough days and tough years. From top to bottom, that was something I’ve never been through. Suspended, injured and to come back injured again trying to play ... it was just a nightmare.

“You do what you have to in life. I knew what I had to do, get back (to positive habits). That’s how you come out of it.”

With the hometowner’s season ruined by the early-season sentence for jumping into a brawl, his poor return for a seven-year, $36.75-million US contract then further scarred by injury and fan anger, Clarkson needed time with Dr. Phil, never mind Phil Kessel.

Clarkson received that positive reinforcement from a new baby around the the time of the Leaf exit meetings, a son named Colton, a brother for three-year-old McKinnley.

“I’ve been spending time with my daughter at the pool and it’s my first time with a son,” Clarkson said, his face lighting up. “The birth was a pretty special moment. I spent more time with them this summer than I wanted to, obviously, but it was nice to be a dad and be around.”

Now 30 years old, he dedicated to having a productive summer with personal trainer Andy O‘Brien, whose stable in Toronto and Calgary includes Sidney Crosby, many other NHLers and figure skater Patrick Chan.

“We go away and train by ourselves, which we’ve done the past five or six years,” Clarkson said. “I’m quite lucky to train around some elite players and that pushed me, too. I didn’t think I needed to do anything different (physically) than train with Andy.”

Clarkson also knew he’d be prominent in Brendan Shanahan’s appointment book once the new club president had time to meet with prominent Leafs.

“He’s a better player than (last year’s results),” Shanahan told the Toronto Sun in the spring. “I expect a big improvement from him. Anything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, right from the start.”

The two were briefly linemates with New Jersey, a happier time that must have seemed light years away for Clarkson as he and the Leafs sputtered in March and April.

“I’ve talked to Brendan and he’s someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for, a player a lot of guys looked up to,” Clarkson said. “I think he’ll do something special here.”

Another familiar face in the Leaf room will be assistant coach Steve Spott, Clarkson’s junior coach in Kitchener.

“Obviously there were a lot of tough breaks that went on for me, but at the end of the day, I feel great and I’m excited for what’s ahead,” Clarkson said. “I’m just looking forward to getting this started.”

ANOTHER COLTON IN TOWN

David Clarkson likes Colton Orr, but not enough to christen his new son after the tough guy.

When Colton Clarkson arrived in April, many naturally thought the name was inspired by his father’s teammate. David likes the odd scrap, too, but he and wife Brittany had given this some thought long before he came from New Jersey to the Maple Leafs.

“Our first born (daughter McKinnley in 2011), we thought would be a boy so we had that name picked out,” David said. “Now people are asking ‘are you and Orr really close?’ But it was a name we both chose before.”

Speaking of Orr, he’ll be in tough to keep a spot on the Leafs roster, along with other heavy hitters Frazer McLaren and Troy Bodie. While talk in the off season was about getting back to the Leaf lineup that prided toughness, underlined by fisticuffs, as a ticket to the playoffs, many new bottom six candidates were added.

Leo Komarov, Daniel Winnik, David Booth, Mike Santorelli, Matt Frattin and Petri Kontiola are all affordable options and that means some of coach Randy Carlyle’s three old favourites might be taking a seat or going to the Marlies.

“Every year is a challenge,” Bodie said. “You get the opportunity to show what you have and that you can be better than last year. We’ve brought in some hard-working guys who add a little skill as well. Winnik and Komarov are gritty guys who can put the puck in the net.”

The Leafs will convene their main camp in mid-September. Joining Clarkson on Monday were forwards Kessel and Nazem Kadri. First among the newcomers acquired in the summer to appear was actually an old face - Matt Frattin who was acquired from Columbus for Jerry D’Amigo.

Among the Marlies on hand Monday who’ll be vying for jobs with the Leafs were defencemen Petter Granberg and Stu Percy.