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EDMONTON, AB - There isn't a lot of chill from goaltender Jack Campbell when it comes to showing his affection, including spoiling his pets on their big day.
Speaking to the media for the first time on Wednesday as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, the 30-year-old answered for the iconic cat-birthday photo for his feline friend 'Buds' that made its rounds through social media earlier this year.
"I've been a cat dad for a few years now and my male cat Buds had a birthday," he said with a smile. "My new fiancée, I just got engaged a few weeks ago so I'm still working on the lingo, the two of us decided to throw him a little birthday party and he had a nice time."
On Wednesday during the opening day of NHL Free Agency, it was Jack's chance to celebrate.

Campbell's 11-year professional career came into its own over the last two seasons when he seized the starter's role for the Toronto Maple Leafs and ran with it to great results, recording 48 wins in 71 games including a 31-9-6 record, .914 save percentage and 2.64 goals-against average in 2021-22.
The path was never straightforward for the netminder who was known for his exploits in net for the United States National Team at the 2010 World Juniors, where the USA won gold in overtime to end Canada's bid for a record-breaking sixth consecutive gold medal at the tournament.
Playing for the ECHL's Idaho Steelheads in the Dallas Stars organization during the mid-2010s is where Campbell says his current timeline that led him to Edmonton really began when he learned to manage expectations, rediscovered his on-ice form, and re-established his love for the game after a couple challenging years.
"I've definitely got to give so much credit to Boise and the Idaho Steelheads," Campbell said. "Neil Graham was the head coach there and I went down obviously not thrilled with where I was at in my career and how I was playing. I went down there and just had the time of my life on the ice just playing hockey again instead of putting on and carrying that weight of what I expected myself to do. I just went out and played hockey and it was successful.
Campbell found himself traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June of 2016, attributing his further growth over the following three seasons to the influence of Kings Development Coach Dusty Imoo and his strong performance in goal for the Maple Leafs.
Adversity and opportunity in Toronto, Campbell says, was one of the last things the netminder needed to consider himself worthy of a five-year contract that will see him be the go-to goalie for a club on the cusp of winning a Stanley Cup.

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      THE PANEL | Free Agency 2022

      "Leading up to the trade where I got traded to Toronto and getting the opportunity to have the ball in my hands there, it was a great couple of years there but it definitely had its ups and downs," he said. "I think those prepared me for this moment and to be a part of this special group that's trying to do special things."
      In Toronto, Campbell embraced the pressure of performing in a hockey-crazed market that keeps you humble and hungry for more improvement. In Edmonton, with another ravenous hockey fanbase and a dedicated group of players alongside him, he expects Oil Country to be no different.
      "I absolutely love it. You're always under the microscope and I think it gets the best out of everybody," he said of the pressure. "It's an amazing opportunity and I'm so grateful to be here. I just can't wait to get to work and get to Edmonton and enjoy the city."
      "The fanbase is an amazing fanbase and I just can't wait. I've played games here, but I can't wait to wear the Blue & Orange and play with this group. Everybody's so driven to win here and I just can't wait to be a part of it."
      Campbell will find plenty of familiar faces in Edmonton having shared a strong friendship with Zach Hyman in Toronto and the ice with the likes of Tyson Barrie (Toronto), Darnell Nurse (Sault Ste. Marie), Devin Shore (Texas) and more. Through the grapevine, the former 2010 first-round pick of the Stars heard of the chemistry in the Oilers locker room and is excited to enter the fold.
      In a close friend like Hyman, Campbell can borrow the roadmap the forward took when moving to Edmonton to join the Oilers cause for a Stanley Cup after signing a seven-year deal last summer.

      "Zach's got such great integrity and he's such a great person and human being," Campbell said. "Obviously what he does on the ice is special too, and to see him do it and talk to him hearing the excitement in his voice, he's just somebody you trust and can count on every single day.
      "I'm just so excited to join him as well as the entire team, organization and city. It's nice he paved the way and I just can't wait to do my job."
      As for the 'Sooooooouuuuuup!' chants potentially making their way from the Scotiabank Centre to Rogers Place, as long as the support for the Blue & Orange keeps coming, he's up for anything.
      "It was definitely pretty special. The embracement Toronto fans gave me and it definitely fired me up," he said. "But it's a new chapter, so whatever Oil Country wants to do, I'm just so grateful to be here.
      "Cheering for the team is always my number-one thing, so as long as they're making some noise when the boys are scoring some goals and we're winning games, that's all I care about."