Colin Campbell (ice hockey, born 1953)

Colin Campbell
Colin Campbell
Born	Colin John Campbell; January 28, 1953 (age 73); Canada
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey defenceman, coach, NHL executive
Years active	1973–1985 (player), 1985–1998 (coach), 1998–present (executive)
Known for	NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations; former NHL player and coach

Colin John Campbell (born January 28, 1953) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, coach, and presently serves as the executive vice president and director of hockey operations for the National Hockey League (NHL). He competed in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals representing the Vancouver Canucks. In 2024, Campbell was honored with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder.

Playing career

Campbell honed his abilities with the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey Association before being selected 27th overall in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and also 5th overall in the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft by the Vancouver Blazers. After spending a season with the Blazers, he transitioned to Pittsburgh.

Renowned for his tenacious and physical style as a defender, Campbell played for several teams including the Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Detroit Red Wings. Across 11 seasons in the NHL, he amassed 25 goals and 103 assists over 636 games, along with nearly 1,300 penalty minutes. Additionally, he participated in 78 WHA contests, registering 3 goals and a total of 23 points.

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1970–71	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.	59	5	18	23	160	5	0	2	2	22
1971–72	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.	50	2	23	25	158	15	2	9	11	59
1972–73	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.	60	7	40	47	189	—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Vancouver Blazers	WHA	78	3	20	23	191	—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	59	4	15	19	172	9	1	3	4	21
Hershey Bears	AHL	15	1	3	4	55
1975–76	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	64	7	10	17	'105	'3	'0	'0	'0	'0
Colorado Rockies	NHL	54	3	8	11	67
1976–77	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL	7	1	2	3	9
Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	55	1	9	10	103
1978–79	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	65	2	18	20	137	7	1	4	5	30
Edmonton Oilers	NHL	72	2	11	13	196
1980–81	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	42	1	8	9	75
Vancouver Canucks	NHL	47	0	8	8	131	16	2	2	4	89
1982–83	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	53	1	7	8	74
Detroit Red Wings	NHL	68	3	4	7	108	4	0	0	0	21
1984–85	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	57	1	5	6	124
NHL Totals !636 !25 !103 !128 !1292 !45 !4 !10 !14 !181

Coaching career

Following his retirement in 1985, Campbell became part of the Detroit Red Wings coaching team under head coach Jacques Demers. During the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Campbell, alongside assistant GM Neil Smith, encountered several players, such as Bob Probert and Petr Klima, violating curfew at a suburban Edmonton bar, which resulted in Demers issuing an apology. Campbell departed from the Red Wings after Demers was relieved of his duties in 1990.

Subsequently, Campbell worked as associate coach for the New York Rangers from 1991 to 1994 and briefly took charge of their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Rangers, during the 1992–93 season. When head coach Mike Keenan left following the Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup victory, Campbell was elevated to the position of head coach.

In the lockout-shortened 1994–95 NHL season, Campbell guided the Rangers to a fourth-place finish in the Atlantic Division, earning the 8th seed for the playoffs. The team upset the top-ranked Quebec Nordiques in six games but were subsequently swept by the Philadelphia Flyers in the next round.

The Rangers concluded the 1995–96 season second in their division and overcame the Montreal Canadiens before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games. The following year, 1996–97, marked Campbell’s deepest playoff advancement with the Rangers, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals after victories over defending champions Florida Panthers and divisional contenders New Jersey Devils. Their postseason run ended with a five-game loss to the Flyers.

After losing captain Mark Messier during the offseason and failing to acquire Joe Sakic, the Rangers struggled early in 1997–98. Campbell was dismissed after coaching 57 games and replaced by John Muckler. The team missed that year’s playoffs and did not qualify again until 2005–06 under coach Tom Renney. Furthermore, they did not win another playoff series until sweeping the Atlanta Thrashers in 2007.

Head coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Playoffs
Team	Year	G	W	L	T	Pts	Finish	Result
NYR	1994–95	48	22	23	3	47	4th in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Semifinals (PHI)
NYR	1995–96	82	41	27	14	96	2nd in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Semifinals (PIT)
NYR	1996–97	82	38	34	10	86	4th in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Finals (PHI)
NYR	1997–98	57	17	24	16	(68)	(fired)	—
Total		269	118	108	43			3 playoff appearances

Executive career

Following his period with the Rangers, Campbell was named NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations, taking over from Brian Burke. In this capacity, he oversaw several prominent disciplinary matters, including incidents involving Marty McSorley versus Donald Brashear and Todd Bertuzzi’s hit on Steve Moore.

During the NHL lockout of 2004–05, Campbell chaired a committee responsible for implementing major rule modifications for the subsequent 2005–06 season.

In November 2006, Campbell turned down a five-year contract worth $7.5 million to become general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers amid rumors that he was pursuing the Toronto Maple Leafs GM role, which eventually went to Brian Burke.

In 2010, leaked emails revealed Campbell had made critical remarks about players and officials, causing debate over alleged partiality. Despite this controversy, the NHL publicly backed him, and he retained his position until June 1, 2011. At that time, Brendan Shanahan took over as Vice President of Player Safety. Notably, Campbell resigned shortly before his son competed in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

Prior to the 2016 NHL All-Star Game, Campbell was identified as an executive who discouraged enforcer John Scott from participating despite Scott having led fan voting.

Campbell remains active as Director of Hockey Operations.

External links