Brian Campbell News: Pro Sports Daily

Neither team satisfied with Ovechkin suspension

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March 17

Chicago Tribune

"Adam Burish said he considered jumping over the boards to get at Alex Ovechkin after the Capitals star injured Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell with an illegal hit during Sunday's game but didn't because his coach "would have wringed my neck." On the day the team announced Campbell will be sidelined seven to eight weeks with a broken clavicle and rib — but likely would avoid surgery — the Hawks reacted to the news the league had suspended Ovechkin for two games and, not surprisingly, felt the punishment was too lenient. "I don't care if you're dirty or not, or if you have a history or not, if you hit somebody in the head or you injure somebody you need to get suspended for it," Burish ..."

Brian Campbell will likely avoid surgery, to be out 7-8 weeks

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March 17

Chicago Sun-Times

"Life without defenseman Brian Campbell officially began for Blackhawks on Tuesday. The team announced Campbell will be out seven to eight weeks with a fractured collarbone and rib after being shoved into the boards by Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin in the first period of the Hawks' overtime loss Sunday at the United Center. ''He will likely avoid surgery, and we anticipate a full recovery,'' Hawks team physician Michael Terry said. Ovechkin received a five-minute boarding penalty and a game misconduct for the hit. He was suspended two games by NHL, which deemed it a ''reckless hit'' on Monday. ''I am very sorry that Brian was injured, and I hope he is able to return to his team ..."

Blackhawks' Campbell to miss 7-to-8 weeks

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March 16

Chicago Tribune

"Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell will be sidelined seven to eight weeks as a result of injuries sustained Sunday when he was checked into the board by Washington's Alex Ovechkin, the team said Tuesday. "Brian Campbell suffered a clavicle fracture and a rib fracture on Sunday," team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in a statement. "He will likely avoid surgery and we anticipate a full recovery. He should be ready to play in approximately seven to eight weeks." Meanwhile, Ovechkin issued an apology for the hit that earned him a two-game suspension. "I am very sorry that Brian was injured and I hope he is able to return to his team soon," Ovechkin said in the statement. "NHL hockey is a ..."

Brian Campbell's injury huge void for Blackhawks to fill on defense

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March 16

Chicago Tribune

"Things have gone from bad to worse for the Blackhawks. Just when you thought two disastrous defeats over the weekend couldn't have been any more damaging, news hit regarding Brian Campbell's probable season-ending injury. For a team that has been struggling defensively for the last month or so, the prospect of heading into the postseason without one of its best defensemen is quite a blow. The question now is how to overcome the loss. The first answer is likely to be Nick Boynton, a former NHL All-Star defenseman the Hawks acquired from the Ducks on March 2 to provide depth. As Campbell was seeing team physician Michael Terry on Monday to further assess his broken collarbone suffered when ..."

Campbell may be out for rest of the season

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March 16

Chicago Sun-Times

"Alex Ovechkin's boarding of Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell can officially be considered a ''reckless hit.'' The NHL announced Monday that the Washington Capitals superstar has been suspended two games for propelling Campbell headfirst into the boards a day earlier. The decision came hours after Ovechkin met with the league to discuss the incident. Ovechkin was suspended ''without pay, for a reckless hit,'' the official release said. That Campbell will be out for an extended period -- possibly the rest of the season -- was a decisive factor. The defenseman met with team doctors Monday to reassess what officially is being called an ''upper-body'' injury for now -- although multiple ..."

Ovechkin, Hawks at odds over check

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March 15

Chicago Sun-Times

"Alex Ovechkin didn't think his hit on Brian Campbell warranted a five-minute boarding penalty, let alone a game misconduct. But some of the Blackhawks saw the Washington Capitals superstar's check, which knocked Campbell out of the game and possibly for an extended period, very differently. ''I thought it was a late hit,'' said Niklas Hjalmarsson, Campbell's defensive partner. ''He's obviously going to miss a couple of games, I think. I hope the league will take a good look at that because that's the kind of situation you really hurt yourself by. ''I got hit like that, too, a couple of years ago. I dislocated my shoulder. I hope they take a good look at that hit and suspend him for a ..."

Blackhawks' Campbell out for rest of the season

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March 15

Chicago Tribune

"Alex Ovechkin said he "just pushed" Brian Campbell. The Blackhawks saw it a bit differently from the Capitals winger's simple explanation for a hit that possibly ended Campbell's regular season and ended Ovechkin's day early when he was tossed during the first period of Washington's 4-3 overtime victory Sunday at the United Center. After Campbell had passed the puck, Ovechkin checked the defenseman and sent him flying shoulder first into the end boards. Campbell was down on the ice for several minutes before slowly skating off the ice, and he could miss significant time. According to a source, Campbell is out for at least the rest of the regular season after suffering a broken collarbone. ..."

Brian Campbell finally hitting stride

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December 29

Chicago Tribune

"A comfortable Brian Campbell is causing plenty of discomfort for Blackhawks opponents. In the middle of his second season with the Hawks, the veteran defenseman is enjoying his best stretch of hockey since signing as a free agent in July of 2008. His production at both ends of the ice has been a major factor in the Hawks' surge to the upper echelon of the NHL. "I really feel in a good comfort zone," Campbell, 30, said. "With everything around me and who I'm playing with and all that; I just feel very confident and focused. I'm probably the most comfortable I've felt since I've been here. It's a lot of fun and I just want to keep working at it." In the last seven games, Campbell has three ..."

This is hardly a sticking point

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December 18

Chicago Sun-Times

"Maybe it was the sticks. Brian Campbell went 29 games without a goal for the Blackhawks. Then a new set of sticks arrived this week, and he was like a golfer who traded in his old clubs. ''They came out pretty good,'' he said. ''They're a little bit different, a little stronger. They're zipping pretty good. It's nice to have new weapons.'' It certainly was on Wednesday, when Campbell blasted one in from long range in the Hawks' 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues to end his dry spell. His first goal of the season had come in the second game, a victory over the Florida Panthers in Finland. He had come up empty on North American ice until Kris Versteeg set him up for a shot behind the right ..."

Campbell is greeted with reaction he feared

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December 12

Buffalo News

columnist Bucky Gleason

"Brian Campbell walked into HSBC Arena on Friday morning much the same way he left less than two years ago. He stopped briefly to say hello to security guard James McDuffie before strolling down the corridor toward the dressing room. It was almost as if he somehow jammed his life into reverse. Less than two years have passed since Campbell walked down the same corridor, waved goodbye to the same security guard, slipped out the same back door and took his spin-o-rama in a different direction. If only there were a means for the Sabres to rewind the tape and somehow stop him from reaching the exit. Campbell was a great player and a class act, one of the most popular athletes to roll through ..."

Campbell OK with Buffalo fans booing

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December 12

Chicago Sun-Times

"Brian Campbell has been booed before. He expected such treatment from the Buffalo fans Friday and he got it. Campbell played eight seasons for the Sabres. They traded him to San Jose when it became obvious that they couldn't re-sign him, and Campbell subsequently spurned an offer from the Sharks to sign with the Blackhawks before last season. Whenever Campbell has played in San Jose he has been booed every time he touches the puck. Friday's game was his first in Buffalo since he was traded, and the jeers weren't nearly as loud as in San Jose."

Blackhawks Brian Campbell takes boos as a compliment

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December 12

Chicago Tribune

"Another former team, another round of boos directed at Brian Campbell. The Blackhawks defenseman incurred the wrath of out-of-town fans for the second time in two weeks as a chorus of boos greeted him whenever he touched the puck Friday night against the Sabres. It was Campbell's first appearance in Buffalo since he was traded to the Sharks in 2008. He received the same treatment in San Jose when the Hawks played there Nov. 25. "I notice; it's kind of hard not to," said Campbell, who chose to sign with the Hawks as a free agent in July '08 instead of returning to the Sharks. "The first little while, you're like, 'Whoa, what's going on? I've never heard that before.' Now, you take it as a ..."

West, coast: Hawks show way over East

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December 8

Chicago Sun-Times

"No matter how you slice it, the Blackhawks are in the midst of a friendly stretch. They play six of their next seven games at the United Center, and they have the best home record in the NHL (11-3-1). The Hawks also are getting a good diet of Eastern Conference opponents. That seems to be a good thing considering they have yet to lose in regulation to a team from that conference. Their last game against the East was Saturday, when they edged the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in overtime on the road. Their next three also are against the East -- Wednesday against the New York Rangers, Friday at the Buffalo Sabres and Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Hawks ..."

Five-goal second period fuels Hawks' rout of Flames

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November 20

Chicago Sun-Times

"The Blackhawks got their six-game road trip off to a rousing start Thursday, crushing the Calgary Flames 7-1 in a game that was all but decided after the second period. The Hawks snapped a 1-1 tie with five unanswered goals in the second in romping to their sixth straight win over Calgary. Kris Versteeg, who sat out the previous game with an upper body injury, scored twice for the Hawks in the second period barrage with Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Patrick Kane also scoring. The Blackhawks got their six-game road trip off to a rousing start Thursday, crushing the Calgary Flames 7-1 in a game that was all but decided after the second period. The Hawks snapped a 1-1 tie with five ..."

Chicago Blackhawks beat Calgary Flames 7-1

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November 20

Chicago Tribune

"On a Thursday night when they scored a season-high seven goals, it was a Cristobal Huet save that got the Blackhawks rolling. The Hawks hammered the Flames 7-1 at the Pengrowth Saddledome to kick off their six-game trip in style. The victory was the Hawks' fifth straight and continued their dominance over Calgary, which they knocked out of the Western Conference quarterfinals last season after sweeping the four-game regular season series. It was also the against the Flames whom the Hawks staged a miracle comeback from a five-goal deficit to win 6-5 in overtime Oct. 12 at the United Center. They didn't return the favor here. Kris Versteeg had two goals and Patrick Kane added a goal and an ..."

Campbell believes points will come

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November 14

Chicago Tribune

"After a scorching start to the season, points have been few and far between for Brian Campbell. The Blackhawks' veteran defenseman had a goal and six assists in the first seven games but just two assists in the last 11 contests, including Friday night's 3-2 victory over the Maple Leafs at the United Center. Despite those numbers, Campbell remains upbeat. "I feel like I'm playing my best hockey," he said. "The chances are there every night. I need to turn a few goalposts into goals. There are stretches you go through. I'm not too worried about it." Campbell is logging big time on the back end, playing 20 minutes, 36 seconds of plus-1 time Friday. He's a plus-3 overall and has been ..."

Blackhawks' offense getting big boost from defense

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October 12

Chicago Tribune

"It's difficult to determine at which end of the ice the Blackhawks' defense has excelled more this season. The Hawks are fifth in the NHL in goals-against, having allowed 2.25 per game, and are second in shots allowed at 22.2 through Saturday's games. Those are pretty gaudy defensive statistics, but they are made more impressive when combined with what the defensemen have done offensively. Of the Hawks' 12 goals this season, the defense has either a goal or assist on 11 of them. "Guys have a lot of confidence, and we feel comfortable with who we're playing with and how it kind of works," said Brian Campbell, who has a goal and an assist over the first four games as the Hawks have gone ..."

For Campbell, playoff run was icing on the cake

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May 30

Chicago Sun-Times

"Brian Campbell was still wincing Friday about the Blackhawks' elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs, but he had no regrets about coming to the club in the first place. Campbell rejected an offer from the San Jose Sharks, who won the Presidents Trophy for best regular-season record in the NHL, to become the Hawks' prize free agent signee in the last offseason. ''You talk to people after you sign, and they ask, 'Why did you go there?' '' Campbell said. ''I saw a team that would be successful, but I didn't think we'd be playing until the end of May. Our goal at first was to make the playoffs, then they kept going up. In early December we realized we had a team that could be a threat in ..."