It turns out that former NHL goalie Jack Campbell is much fonder reminiscing about his time in Toronto than the agent of fellow ex-Maple Leaf Mitch Marner.
Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, recently spoke about how his all-star client — who left Toronto for the Vegas Golden Knights last summer — was “never really protected” during his time with the Leafs.
But while Ferris picked at old scabs about Marner’s treatment by the team, media and fans in the city, Campbell beamed about his time in The Six.
“I can’t stop smiling,” the recently retired Campbell said during a radio appearance on TSN 1050’s First Up when asked about playing in Toronto. “My time there, it’s the greatest time of my life. I met my wife there, the friendships I had there, just incredible.”
Like Marner, Campbell had some tough times during his Leafs tenure, but the goalie didn’t let them sour his memory.
“Some of the hardest things that I’ve gone through off the ice were in Toronto, but looking back, it just adds to the power of what Toronto means to me,” he said during Wednesday’s radio appearance. “Just really grateful for the fans, and it’s one of the coolest things to look back on.”
The native of Port Huron, Mich., who played for the Edmonton Oilers after leaving Toronto, said it was an obsession of his to play for a team in the Great White North.
“I was obsessed with playing in a Canadian market,” he said. “Playing in Toronto, it was the coolest thing in the world, waking up on game day and opening up the blinds, it just felt like Hockey Night in Canada every single game.”
What was the hardest part about playing in Toronto?
Campbell also opened up about the perceived pressures from media and social media in a market like Toronto, but admitted that he was his own worst enemy when things got tough.
“The hard part about it isn’t exactly what people think,” he said. “Yes, it’s a lot of eyes on you … but nothing in the media would ever be as bad as how I would talk to myself.
“So, in that regard, playing in a Canadian market actually was never that big of an issue for me. I loved every second of it, as far as having the opportunity to play there.”
Earlier this week, Campbell announced in a video on social media that he was officially retiring as an active player at age 34 to become a life coach.
“I grew up my entire life chasing one dream, and that was to play in the NHL,” Campbell said on Instagram. “I was fortunate enough to accomplish that goal, playing eight seasons in the NHL and becoming an all-star. Frankly, on paper living a pretty awesome life.”
How NHL career led him to becoming a life coach?
Campbell was a first-round pick of Dallas in 2010, but got his big break during the 2018-19 season with the Los Angeles Kings. He was traded to the Leafs early in 2020 with forward Kyle Clifford for winger Trevor Moore and draft picks and enjoyed some success in Toronto, posting 51 wins in 77 games.
The Leafs did not re-sign him after 2021-22, leading him to sign with the Oilers on a five-year, $25-million US contract. He eventually lost the starting role to Stuart Skinner and was waived the following season. Edmonton eventually bought him out after an unsuccessful stint in the minors.
Not long after signing a one-year $775,000 deal with his home-state Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2024, Campbell entered the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program, making only random starts for the farm team that season.
“(I am) super grateful for my days of playing, but what a lot of people don’t see is the personal battle I went through throughout my career,” Campbell said in his video.
“Walking away from hockey wasn’t easy. It gave me more than I could have ever imagined. But over the last few years, I realized the work that brought me the most fulfillment wasn’t stopping pucks, it was helping people become who they’re capable of becoming.”
What did Campbell say about Frederik Andersen?
During his radio appearance, Campbell also had some kind words for his former teammate Frederik Andersen, with whom he shared the Leafs goaltending duties from 2019-21.
“What a tremendous human being,” Campbell said of Andersen, who won the Stanley Cup last month with the Carolina Hurricanes. “That’s just a guy I would run through a brick wall for any day. The way he carried himself, it’s inspirational.
“When you’re going through a tough time, Freddy Andersen comes to mind on how I would want to carry myself.”
— with files from Lance Hornby