Oilers goalie Jack Campbell broke his nose and he wasn't even playing
Jack Campbell is feeling alright after taking one square to the face.
The Edmonton Oilers stopper left a 5-2 loss at the New Jersey Devils on Monday night after an errant puck caught him right on the button.
While sitting on the bench.
“Yeah, it’s just a broken nose,” Campbell told media Tuesday. “Nothing crazy.”
"Just having some fun & stopping a lot of rubber."
After taking a puck to the face while on the bench last night, Jack Campbell provides an update & shares what his best hockey looks like. pic.twitter.com/huRWGXjksH
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 22, 2022
Campbell was hit with a dump-in by Oilers’ rookie Dylan Holloway when it deflected off the stick of Devils defenceman Dougie Hamilton and into Edmonton’s bench.
And right on Campbell’s mark.
“Just instinctively, I saw we were dumping it in high, not that it was going into the bench, but just kind of put my glove out and the D just tipped it right off the nose,” Campbell detailed.
jack campbell gets clipped with a puck in the eye area while sitting on the bench. pic.twitter.com/cnxibs7QG9
— zach (@zjlaing) November 22, 2022
He left the game, prompting former NCAA Division III stopper George Blinik to suit up in an emergency backup role if needed.
It’s not the first time Campbell has had a busted beak.
Ideally, it’s the last.
“Eleventh-grade boxing, at the US (National Team Development) Program. I think Luke Moffatt. He was my sparring partner. It was just part of the US Program, so we just do it once a week.”
"Just a broken nose" from @EdmontonOilers Jack Campbell pic.twitter.com/nKrCCWJcOq
— Gene Principe (@GenePrincipe) November 22, 2022
Campbell, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract as an unrestricted free agent to join the Oilers in the summer, has backed up starter Stuart Skinner in four straight games.
He has managed a 6-4-0 record with a bloated 4.27 goals-against average and .873 save percentage in 10 games.
Skinner, by contrast, is 4-4-0 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.
“It’s almost just taking a step back and just kind of taking a breath and going out and just working on the game, stopping pucks in practice, just tightening up some details,” Campbell said.
“I’ve kind of been through this pretty much every year since I’ve played hockey. There’s always ups and downs, but whenever you get through it, it makes you stronger. This is going to definitely make me stronger mentally and physically. I’m just ready to help this team win and play to my ability.”
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