Goaltender Jack Campbell is the latest example of a veteran player attempting to work his way back to the NHL.

Story and photo by Mark Newman

        As the top development league of the NHL, the American Hockey League has long been a breeding ground for future superstars, Stanley Cup champions, and Hockey Hall of Famers.

        Less known but equally significant, the nearly 90-year-old league has served an essential role in giving veteran players a place to revitalize their careers, whether rehabilitating their bodies from injuries or regaining their confidence after being traded or placed on waivers.

        For a chunk of the 2024-25 season, the Griffins played host to a trio of NHL-caliber netminders. Top Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa found himself sharing goaltending duties with Jack Campbell, 33, who is attempting to return to the NHL after playing fulltime at hockey's highest level for five seasons (2018-23), and Ville Husso, 30, who was trying to find his groove again until a Feb. 24 trade sent him to the Anaheim Ducks.

        “It’s a luxury for a team to have three guys like that," said Griffins goaltending coach Roope Koistinen. “They're all professionals, and they know how to carry themselves. Obviously, it’s a challenge with practice arrangements, but they have seen a lot in their careers, and it’s been fun to work with them.”

        Any angst associated with the unusual circumstances was eased by Cossa’s competitive but cordial nature, the consummate professionalism of the two vets, and the team-first attitude shared by all three.

        Before packing his bags for the West Coast, Husso spoke about feeling empowered by Sisu (see-soo), a uniquely Finnish word that refers to a combination of inner strength, resilience, and stoic determination that produces a mind-over-matter perseverance that enables a person to overcome adversity.

        “When things don't go your way and you need something, you need a special power, that’s Sisu,” he said. “Everybody faces some bad moments in their life, but it's how you handle those, and for me, Sisu is the light in the tunnel. You just keep grinding, keep working, and stay disciplined. It’s whatever it takes.

        “I feel like, for me, this has been one of those years. I know I can play in the NHL. The situation is what it is; all you can do is try to make yourself better on and off the ice. Sisu means you can do whatever you believe.”

        While Husso was 8-4-0 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in Grand Rapids, his numbers in Detroit (1-5-2, 3.69, .866) were far less impressive. Campbell’s 2-5-1 record with the Griffins belied his strong play between the pipes, as he had a 2.54 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage heading into March.

        Campbell said he was unfamiliar with the Finnish concept of Sisu, but after facing various struggles during 14 seasons of pro hockey, he knows all the challenges that can get in the way of success. Nietzsche’s admonition of “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” could have been penned in his honor.

        A first-round selection (11th overall pick) of the Dallas Stars in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Campbell bore the brunt of his prospect status for several seasons. He spent parts of five years in Dallas' minor-league system, helping the Texas Stars beat the defending Calder Cup champion Griffins on their way to the 2014 AHL title, then bouncing between the AHL and the ECHL during his last two seasons in the organization. His lone NHL appearance during his Dallas tenure was a 6-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2013-14 campaign.

        In 2016 he left Dallas for the Los Angeles Kings organization, where he finally found his game with the help of goalie gurus Bill Ranford and Dusty Imoo – the former a two-time Stanley Cup-winning netminder with the Edmonton Oilers; the latter who played one year of pro hockey in North America before spending a dozen years in Japanese and Asian leagues.

        “For the first time in my career, I had actual goalie coaches in LA. Dusty Imoo and Bill Ranford were super-valuable to my development, as was Steve Briere in Toronto. I think it was a combination of them giving me some structure and benefiting from the group of guys in front of me,” Campbell said.

        “It was a matter of making things fun again and not taking life so seriously.”

        Upon joining the Kings, Campbell simplified his game to ultimately regain the form that had made him a highly touted prospect in the first place. In 2017-18, he finally recorded his first NHL win at the age of 26.

        “I became a different person, too,” he said. “People are wired differently, and sometimes, it takes some time to settle in, learn, and mature. My mindset was always just so serious. It took me a long time to realize it’s a game and to have fun doing it.”

        Campbell admits that he was so competitive that he took every loss personally. As the player between the pipes, Campbell felt the burden of being the last line of defense; too often, he thought he should take the blame even when he had played well.

        “It wasn’t just a little,” he said. “It was an everyday thing, you know, beating myself up. I think it’s just who I am. I finally learned how not to do that anymore, and it’s nice. Of course, it hasn’t been easy. I’ve had some pretty high years and been as low as it gets. I believe in myself, and I know there’s so much more that I’m capable of achieving, and I’m not going to give up on that until I accomplish what I want.”

        In Los Angeles, Campbell established himself as the backup to Jonathan Quick, the longtime Kings goaltender who recently recorded his 400th career victory as a member of the New York Rangers and now serves as the backup to Igor Shesterkin.

        Quick and Campbell were a solid goaltending tandem with the Kings from 2018-20, with the duo developing a friendship to the point where Campbell accompanied his mentor to the 2018 NHL Awards ceremony, carrying a towel and water bottle as his backup.

        “At the time, I thought it was a great idea, but looking back, I wish I just could have gone to the event as his buddy,” he said. “I think the point was just to be there for him, so at the end of the day, I’m happy that I was there for him.”

        In February 2020, weeks before the NHL shut down due to COVID-19, Los Angeles traded Campbell and Kyle Clifford to Toronto for Trevor Moore and third-round selections in the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

        Although not considered a big trade at the time, the move would alter the trajectory of Campbell’s career. He appeared in six games with the Maple Leafs before the 2019-20 NHL season stopped due to the pandemic, then enjoyed a record-setting showing at the start of the delayed 2020-21 season.

        Campbell set the record for consecutive wins to start a season when he became the first goalie in NHL history to post a victory in his first 11 appearances. He finished the season with a 17-3-2 record, a 2.15 goals-against average, and a .921 save percentage.

        He was heralded as a hero, even after the Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Leafs in seven games during the opening round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

        “I loved every minute of my time in Toronto,” he said. “You couldn’t even walk down the street without everybody knowing who you are. They treat you like a celebrity, which is pretty crazy. It definitely fired you up to play well.”

        Campbell enjoyed an almost-as-impressive season the following year when he compiled a 31-9-6 mark with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. Once again, the Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, this time losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.

        He signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 13, 2022, but struggled during his time with the Cup contender.

        Campbell had a .916 save percentage over three seasons in Toronto but finished with an .886 save percentage in his first season with the Oilers. He eventually lost the No. 1 job to Stuart Skinner in November 2023, his second season with the team. He finished last season in the AHL and was placed on unconditional waivers to buy out the final three years of the deal.

        Seeking a fresh start, Campbell inked a one-year, $775,000 deal with the Red Wings this past summer. As a native of Port Huron, he was excited to get a chance to prove himself playing for the team of his childhood.

        “My grandpa was a diehard Wings fan, and Steve Yzerman was my favorite player, which is weird to say now that he’s my boss,” he said. “I saw an opportunity, and it being my hometown team and favorite growing up was super cool. I knew it would make my grandpa happy looking down on it, but ultimately it was the opportunity.”

        Campbell saw coming to Grand Rapids as a chance to redeem himself and prove he could still play the game at the highest level. Getting his head straight allowed him to see hockey for what it is: a game that should be fun, and he saw being part of a three-headed goalie tandem as just another challenge.

        And so he hung out with Husso on the road, and they talked at the rink. “We’re older; we’ve both been through it, so we’re just trying to help Cossa,” Campbell said. “I think being a good person, being a good teammate, is more important than anything.

        “Certainly, in hockey, guys tend to be pretty good teammates and we’ve been fortunate here to have three guys who are good dudes. I think an important quality in life is cheering people on. We have a great group of guys here, so I’m just trying to make the most of each day,”

        Between them, Campbell and Husso have more than 300-plus games of NHL experience (Campbell – 176, Husso – 141), so their goalie coach, Koistinen, did not intend to retool the way either played the game.

        “Right now, the most important thing is to keep the guys ready to play all the time,” Koistinen said. “That's the first thing, but also they want to get better every day. So something we've been doing with the guys is that we have a plan for what we do every day. We have a purpose when they come to the rink and when they’re going on the ice.

        “Obviously, they want to get back to the NHL and I'm trying to help them. Confidence plays a part in that, and you want them to feel good about themselves so when they are on the ice, they feel confident, they feel on top of things, they are making those saves.”

        Husso said he believes staying positive is the key to enjoying success at any level.

        “If you’re always so negative and thinking the worst could happen, that’s when things start to go bad. If you think the opposite, that ‘I-can-do-it’ mentality, you are in a better place. Everybody is different, and how you react to things makes the difference,” Husso said.

        “I’m 30 now, and there have been moments when I’ve been thinking negative thoughts and things start going down. Once you gather yourself and start thinking positive thoughts, that’s when good things happen. You don’t worry about what other people think or what people say. It’s more about yourself and how you can make the people around you even better, too.”

        Koistinen said he’s enjoyed working with veterans like Campbell and Husso.

        “Great attitude, great people, great human beings… I think that's what comes to mind when talking about those two,” he said. “They make my job way easier and more fun to come to work every day even though the situation is not normal with having three guys here.

        “Our goaltending has been good throughout the year. They have helped us get some points and wins, and that's their job. Goaltending is all about keeping the puck out of the net, and they’ve been doing a good job all season.”

        Both veterans said they feel this season will help them rebound to where they belong.

        “My goal is to be in the NHL and do whatever it takes,” Husso said a week before he was traded to a new organization for a fresh start. “I’ve got to keep grinding, stay humble, and see this as a little bump on the road that will make me stronger.

        “This situation has not been ideal for us – we’re all just trying to get back to the NHL. So we’re all talking, sharing thoughts in the locker room, just chatting goalie stuff. I feel like it’s been helping all of us stay in the moment and work through this rotation. It’s not ideal, but I feel we’ve done a good job with it.”

        Campbell looks back to his time in Los Angeles when he first established himself as an NHL-caliber goaltender and thinks he still has several good years ahead. Playing alongside Jonathan Quick with the Kings, he could see what it takes to sustain oneself over a long career.

        “Not many guys have had the steady, consistent career that he has had. He’s definitely a Hall of Famer – an incredible goalie but also an incredible person, still playing at a top level at age 39. I would never compare myself to him, but I definitely expect big things in my 30s, that’s for sure.”