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Long before goaltenders Jack Campbell and Jonathan Quick became teammates with the Kings, Campbell’s former team, the Dallas Stars gave him a homework assignment.
They suggested Campbell study the nuances of Quick’s game, on the grounds that there were parts of Quick’s style that he could adapt to his own. This, by the way, occurred prior to Campbell traveling to work with Quick’s trainer one summer in Connecticut simply because he was Quick’s trainer.
“I’ve been watching film on him since I was 19,” said Campbell, who is now 26. “Long story short they said, ‘We think you’re athletic like Quick, so we want you to study him.’”
But something else resonated with Campbell later and lingered. It happened in Game 2 of the Kings’ 2014 first-round series against the San Jose Sharks. The Kings collapsed in the third period, eventually losing 7-2 and Quick stayed in the game even after it was well out of hand. Campbell kept watching to see how Quick would respond after such a lopsided loss.
“Most goalies just skate off the ice,” said Campbell. “But he stayed out there and tapped everybody [on the pads]. You have the right to be mad at yourself because it’s our job to stop the puck. That’s the bottom line.
“But he never blames anybody. He’s so accountable. He expects to be on his game every night.
“Things like that, I picked up right away. Now I get to watch him every game, every practice.”
If all goes well, the up-close tutorials will continue since the Kings expect Campbell to be Quick’s primary backup during the upcoming season. Quick effectively endorsed the plan when he invited Campbell to join him at the NHL Awards last month in Las Vegas where he picked up the William M. Jennings Trophy, given annually to the team surrendering the fewest regular-season goals.
“I think he just wanted to share the spotlight,” said Campbell, who appeared in five games with the Kings last season, far short of the minimum 25 it would have required to get his name on the trophy.
“It was a privilege to be there. It was also really motivating. I’d love to be in that position representing the team someday. It also showed me what kind of teammate you should be, with Quickie leading the way.”
Campbell is a textbook example of the perseverance needed to establish oneself as a goaltender in the NHL. A 2010 first-round draft pick (No. 11), and the only goalie who cracked the first round that year, he has managed to get his professional career back on track after dropping to the ECHL as recently as the 2015-16 season.
After the Kings traded for him in 2016, they turned Campbell over to Dusty Imoo, their goaltending development coach, as a resurrection project.
Imoo described Campbell as “definitely my biggest project,” adding:
“He was really messed up – and since he was one of the most unbelievable and genuine guys I know, I really wanted it to work out. Regardless of whether it worked out, I wanted him to leave me happy with himself because he really wasn’t happy as a person.
“When he made the NHL and played in Vegas [and won], I was stoked man. That, in its own right, was very gratifying.”
It wasn’t for a lack of effort that Campbell’s first NHL foray failed. Just the opposite, in fact.
“I almost tried too hard when I was with Dallas,” Campbell said. “I tried to be the franchise goalie rather than accepting I needed to play a couple of years in the American League and then be the backup and blah, blah, blah.
“When I got traded here, mentally I was going through a lot. The biggest thing with Dusty that rubbed off on me was letting go of the past and knowing this was a new chapter. Once I did that, my trust just got better and better and we were able to get my game to a certain level.”
Campbell was on the golf course when the Kings acquired him in a trade with the Stars for defenseman Nick Ebert, the 211th player chosen in the 2012 draft. He noticed a missed phone call from Dallas general manager Jim Nill.
“I appreciate Jim Nill trading me here,” Campbell said. “He could have known that they develop goalies well and could have easily traded me somewhere where I would have less of an opportunity to develop.”
And while the heavy lifting is done, there are no guarantees moving forward. Quick, 32, is still in his prime and gobbles up lots of ice time. Accordingly, Campbell will have to bide his time and capitalize on his opportunities whenever they may come.
“He’s going to work his ass off,” Imoo said. “He always wants to do the best he can for his teammates. The goal would be – in the back of his mind – to have a great year. Jack can maybe be the next Martin Jones because I totally believe he is capable.”
After apprenticing in Los Angeles, Jones is now firmly entrenched as the Sharks’ No. 1 goalie even though he didn’t play much for the Kings when Quick was healthy.
Consider these numbers from Campbell’s predecessors: In 2014-15, Jones appeared in 15 games, going 4-5-2. The next season, backup Jhonas Enroth was frustrated by his light schedule, playing in 16 games (7-5-1).
Last season, Darcy Kuemper started 15 games (10-1-3) before he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 21, 2018 clearing the way for Campbell’s ascension from the minors.
Campbell hoped that the comparisons to Jones may one day be appropriate because it is still his desire to be a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.
“That’s my goal and to hear it from somebody as credible as Dusty means a lot,” he said. “I just want to keep putting the work in. Ten games or 30, whatever they need me to do.
“[Kings coach] John [Stevens] and [goalie coach] Billy [Ranford] are very upfront: ‘You’re going to get this game. You’re expected to win this game.’ I won’t put a number on it. My job is to stay ready like Darcy did last year and just to win games.”
Campbell considers his mentor to be goalie coach Joe Exter, who is now an assistant at Michigan State. Exter primarily worked with Campbell at the Under-18 U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich.
In fact, Exter had a hand in the key development years of Ducks goaltender John Gibson, who followed Campbell at the program in Ann Arbor.
Exter and Campbell speak about once a week, Campbell said. Exter has noticed the changes since the goaltender joined the Kings organization.
“I think they’ve done a great job of just letting Jack be Jack,” Exter said. “They put a foundation in his game – the stance, positioning.
“You see the work they’ve done. Whoever they’ve touched has gotten better. It’s pretty cool. Studying them from afar, they’re meat and potatoes. They’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.”
In Ontario, with the 2016-17 Reign, Campbell posted a 2.52 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
Philosophically, neither Ranford nor Imoo try to overwhelm their goalies with information.
“Billy’s been amazing,” Campbell said. “I always knew he was a great goalie coach for all the success the goalies have had here. He’s not the type to come up to you after every shot and be like, ‘Hey dude, do this.’ He observes a lot – even just the way I hold my stick to the post. Or the way my head comes down on the post when I’m down. Little things, like my ice awareness. There’s so many things.
“For Billy to help me out with my detail and then I can sit on the bench and watch Quickie do it, all game long. I’m like, ‘Oh that’s what he wants me to do.’”
Campbell made 41 saves in the Kings’ 4-1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Feb. 27, his first NHL victory. That eight-years-in-the-making moment was witnessed by his parents, Jack and Debbie, who have supported him through all the ups and downs.
According to Imoo, the best for Campbell is yet to come.
“The kid can steal hockey games with the best of them,” Imoo said. “Jack Campbell does that. He’s not all there yet as far as his consistency – in his game and things he needs to work on and his mind, strength-wise and mentally to be a No. 1 all the time. He knows where he needs to get better and I think he can do it.
“Think about it: He got put in a situation where they were in a dog-eat-dog race for a playoff spot. He gets put in against the best team in the west and he didn’t just play well, he won that game.
Is Jack Campbell the next Martin Jones for the Kings?
“That wasn’t even his best yet. The more he believes in himself and the more people believe in him, I think he can totally be a No. 1. I already believe he can win hockey games.”
They suggested Campbell study the nuances of Quick’s game, on the grounds that there were parts of Quick’s style that he could adapt to his own. This, by the way, occurred prior to Campbell traveling to work with Quick’s trainer one summer in Connecticut simply because he was Quick’s trainer.
“I’ve been watching film on him since I was 19,” said Campbell, who is now 26. “Long story short they said, ‘We think you’re athletic like Quick, so we want you to study him.’”
But something else resonated with Campbell later and lingered. It happened in Game 2 of the Kings’ 2014 first-round series against the San Jose Sharks. The Kings collapsed in the third period, eventually losing 7-2 and Quick stayed in the game even after it was well out of hand. Campbell kept watching to see how Quick would respond after such a lopsided loss.
“Most goalies just skate off the ice,” said Campbell. “But he stayed out there and tapped everybody [on the pads]. You have the right to be mad at yourself because it’s our job to stop the puck. That’s the bottom line.
“But he never blames anybody. He’s so accountable. He expects to be on his game every night.
“Things like that, I picked up right away. Now I get to watch him every game, every practice.”
If all goes well, the up-close tutorials will continue since the Kings expect Campbell to be Quick’s primary backup during the upcoming season. Quick effectively endorsed the plan when he invited Campbell to join him at the NHL Awards last month in Las Vegas where he picked up the William M. Jennings Trophy, given annually to the team surrendering the fewest regular-season goals.
“I think he just wanted to share the spotlight,” said Campbell, who appeared in five games with the Kings last season, far short of the minimum 25 it would have required to get his name on the trophy.
“It was a privilege to be there. It was also really motivating. I’d love to be in that position representing the team someday. It also showed me what kind of teammate you should be, with Quickie leading the way.”
Campbell is a textbook example of the perseverance needed to establish oneself as a goaltender in the NHL. A 2010 first-round draft pick (No. 11), and the only goalie who cracked the first round that year, he has managed to get his professional career back on track after dropping to the ECHL as recently as the 2015-16 season.
After the Kings traded for him in 2016, they turned Campbell over to Dusty Imoo, their goaltending development coach, as a resurrection project.
Imoo described Campbell as “definitely my biggest project,” adding:
“He was really messed up – and since he was one of the most unbelievable and genuine guys I know, I really wanted it to work out. Regardless of whether it worked out, I wanted him to leave me happy with himself because he really wasn’t happy as a person.
“When he made the NHL and played in Vegas [and won], I was stoked man. That, in its own right, was very gratifying.”
It wasn’t for a lack of effort that Campbell’s first NHL foray failed. Just the opposite, in fact.
“I almost tried too hard when I was with Dallas,” Campbell said. “I tried to be the franchise goalie rather than accepting I needed to play a couple of years in the American League and then be the backup and blah, blah, blah.
“When I got traded here, mentally I was going through a lot. The biggest thing with Dusty that rubbed off on me was letting go of the past and knowing this was a new chapter. Once I did that, my trust just got better and better and we were able to get my game to a certain level.”
Campbell was on the golf course when the Kings acquired him in a trade with the Stars for defenseman Nick Ebert, the 211th player chosen in the 2012 draft. He noticed a missed phone call from Dallas general manager Jim Nill.
“I appreciate Jim Nill trading me here,” Campbell said. “He could have known that they develop goalies well and could have easily traded me somewhere where I would have less of an opportunity to develop.”
And while the heavy lifting is done, there are no guarantees moving forward. Quick, 32, is still in his prime and gobbles up lots of ice time. Accordingly, Campbell will have to bide his time and capitalize on his opportunities whenever they may come.
“He’s going to work his ass off,” Imoo said. “He always wants to do the best he can for his teammates. The goal would be – in the back of his mind – to have a great year. Jack can maybe be the next Martin Jones because I totally believe he is capable.”
After apprenticing in Los Angeles, Jones is now firmly entrenched as the Sharks’ No. 1 goalie even though he didn’t play much for the Kings when Quick was healthy.
Consider these numbers from Campbell’s predecessors: In 2014-15, Jones appeared in 15 games, going 4-5-2. The next season, backup Jhonas Enroth was frustrated by his light schedule, playing in 16 games (7-5-1).
Last season, Darcy Kuemper started 15 games (10-1-3) before he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 21, 2018 clearing the way for Campbell’s ascension from the minors.
Campbell hoped that the comparisons to Jones may one day be appropriate because it is still his desire to be a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.
“That’s my goal and to hear it from somebody as credible as Dusty means a lot,” he said. “I just want to keep putting the work in. Ten games or 30, whatever they need me to do.
“[Kings coach] John [Stevens] and [goalie coach] Billy [Ranford] are very upfront: ‘You’re going to get this game. You’re expected to win this game.’ I won’t put a number on it. My job is to stay ready like Darcy did last year and just to win games.”
Campbell considers his mentor to be goalie coach Joe Exter, who is now an assistant at Michigan State. Exter primarily worked with Campbell at the Under-18 U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich.
In fact, Exter had a hand in the key development years of Ducks goaltender John Gibson, who followed Campbell at the program in Ann Arbor.
Exter and Campbell speak about once a week, Campbell said. Exter has noticed the changes since the goaltender joined the Kings organization.
“I think they’ve done a great job of just letting Jack be Jack,” Exter said. “They put a foundation in his game – the stance, positioning.
“You see the work they’ve done. Whoever they’ve touched has gotten better. It’s pretty cool. Studying them from afar, they’re meat and potatoes. They’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.”
In Ontario, with the 2016-17 Reign, Campbell posted a 2.52 goals-against average and .914 save percentage.
Philosophically, neither Ranford nor Imoo try to overwhelm their goalies with information.
“Billy’s been amazing,” Campbell said. “I always knew he was a great goalie coach for all the success the goalies have had here. He’s not the type to come up to you after every shot and be like, ‘Hey dude, do this.’ He observes a lot – even just the way I hold my stick to the post. Or the way my head comes down on the post when I’m down. Little things, like my ice awareness. There’s so many things.
“For Billy to help me out with my detail and then I can sit on the bench and watch Quickie do it, all game long. I’m like, ‘Oh that’s what he wants me to do.’”
Campbell made 41 saves in the Kings’ 4-1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Feb. 27, his first NHL victory. That eight-years-in-the-making moment was witnessed by his parents, Jack and Debbie, who have supported him through all the ups and downs.
According to Imoo, the best for Campbell is yet to come.
“The kid can steal hockey games with the best of them,” Imoo said. “Jack Campbell does that. He’s not all there yet as far as his consistency – in his game and things he needs to work on and his mind, strength-wise and mentally to be a No. 1 all the time. He knows where he needs to get better and I think he can do it.
“Think about it: He got put in a situation where they were in a dog-eat-dog race for a playoff spot. He gets put in against the best team in the west and he didn’t just play well, he won that game.
Is Jack Campbell the next Martin Jones for the Kings?
“That wasn’t even his best yet. The more he believes in himself and the more people believe in him, I think he can totally be a No. 1. I already believe he can win hockey games.”
