Former Oilers, Maple Leafs, and Kings Goalie Announces Retirement at 34

Jack Campbell, who spent years in Los Angeles and Toronto, then parts of two seasons in the crease in Edmonton, has announced his retirement from professional hockey at 34. Years after his last game in 2024, via an Instagram bio update and video, Campbell now lists himself as a “former NHL goaltender” and an “identity and performance coach.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jack Campbell | Executive Coach (@1jackcampbell)

He put in his description:

“Walking away from hockey wasn’t easy. It gave me more than I could have ever imagined. But over the last few years, I realized the work that brought me the most fulfillment wasn’t stopping pucks—it was helping people become who they’re capable of becoming. I’m incredibly grateful to begin this next chapter as a coach with @novus.global . I can’t wait to walk alongside athletes, leaders, and high performers as they create bigger visions for their lives and become the people those visions require.”

For Oilers fans, Campbell’s tenure in Edmonton is remembered as one of the more disappointing free-agent swings in recent franchise history. He arrived in 2022 on a five-year, $25 million deal fresh off a strong run in Toronto. The expectation was that he’d stabilize the crease for years. Instead, he lost the starting job almost immediately, was eventually sent to Bakersfield in the AHL, and was bought out by Edmonton just two years into the contract.

The tougher chapter came after he left the organization. In October 2024, while with Detroit, Campbell entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program for an indefinite period. He never played another NHL game.

Campbell was the highest-drafted goaltender in Dallas Stars franchise history, and he had good runs in Los Angeles and Toronto. The contract and pressure in Edmonton became too much. Things didn’t work out on the ice.

But his willingness to speak openly about the mental toll of professional hockey, and to walk away on his own terms, is worth acknowledging.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Wild & McDavid’s Huge Oilers’ Payday?