Demoted Oilers goalie Jack Campbell struggles in AHL start, allows embarrassing goal

When it rains, it pours and Jack Campbell is learning that the hard way.

The Edmonton Oilers have started their season with arguably the worst goaltending in the NHL and sit tied for last in the league standings. The team was forced to make a move to shake things up, and sent Campbell down to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors after he cleared waivers.

The 31-year-old with 164 NHL starts under his belt made his first minor-league appearance of 2023-24 on Thursday and it could not have gone worse. Campbell laced up his skates to face Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, and ended the night with four goals allowed on just 20 shots against.

It was not a pretty sight.

For the first goal, he was faced with a shorthanded breakaway and Abbotsford’s Nils Aman ended up potting in a juicy rebound surrrendered by Campbell. Sheldon Dries then went on to score another shorthanded goal to put the Canucks up 2-1.

Aman then scored again as Campbell fumbled the save on a weird one-timed backhand that had no power behind it.

Campbell went on to allow another goal and suffered a 4-1 defeat for his AHL season debut. He is now sporting an .800 save percentage in the AHL and an .873 save percentage in the NHL this season, which he earned over five games with the Oilers.

"Tonight was just about getting out there, a lot of emotions, a lot of nerves," Campbell said after the game. "I wanted to do well, didn't quite go as planned, but you know, for me it's just about staying with my details.

"I have some things I have to keep working on to get to the next level in my game. That doesn't change whether I'm here or up in the NHL."

He then expressed how the last 48 hours went as he was placed on the waiver wire and sent down to the minors.

“Pretty tough, I’m not gonna lie,” Campbell said. “I’m pretty hard on myself, I think that’s pretty well documented around the hockey world. I felt like I was playing well, had some confidence. But obviously, the numbers weren’t good enough. … So it was nice to get out there tonight, even though it didn’t quite go as planned.”

Ultimately, the decision to send him to Bakersfield caught him off guard.

“Pretty surprised, not gonna lie. You know, it’s not been fun up there so far this year. We’re working through it and obviously looking to get the results going, and hearing the news was very difficult,” Campbell said.

Looking on the positive side of things, he doesn’t have to think about his next contract. Campbell has three more years left after this season on his five-year, $25-million contract.