![December 12, 2015: Florida Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell (51) [1206] carries the puck up ice. The Boston Bruins defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 in a regular season NHL game at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photograph by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)](http://d3d2maoophos6y.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/07/06111457/482151212013_Panthers_at_Bruins.jpg)
The Chicago Blackhawks were able to shore up a huge area of need by bringing Brian Campbell back into the fold when free agency opened on July 1.
Chicago Sun-Times writer Mark Lazerus summed it up best, noting that last year, “basically, the Hawks’ back end was Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook, and a shrug.”
Campbell’s one-year contract carries a $1.5 million base, but the 37-year-old rearguard will earn a bonus of $750,000 once he plays in his 10th game of the season.
Lest you believe Campbell will be contemplating retirement after 2016-17… think again.
“I know I’m going to keep playing after this,” Campbell told Toronto’s SiriusXMNHL this week. “It was just a situation where being 37, you sign the one-year and you get into the bonus factor, which allows you to take on some bonuses. I think for me, too, it’s I didn’t want to go into a situation if I wasn’t going to be happy, that’s not a lot of fun. So for me, I look past more years. I feel like I’ve got two, three, and who knows, four years left in me.
“I feel great. I feel like I’m still skating well in this league. But it is good to see some of these defensemen. I look at the young kid in Toronto that went fourth overall, or fifth overall. Small guy, but he can fly. And then you look at the Nick Leddys, and things like that – it’s good to see that.
“I know when I was getting drafted it was kind of the old rules. I don’t think anybody gave you too much of a hope. But I had a lot of hard work, and people believing in me that I finally got there.”
When Campbell reflects on the team for which he played over the past five seasons, the Florida Panthers, he sees many positives.
“The last two years, it’s gotten a lot better there. The ownership is pretty stable now. There’s a lot of good, young kids coming up. A lot of fun guys to be around.”
He zeroed in on one player in particular.
“I always look at Aaron Ekblad. He’s so mature for his age. He puts the effort and the time and the work in, and I couldn’t be happier for him. I know he signed his extension. I couldn’t be happier for a guy.
“I really kind of almost looked up to him, in some ways. I think it was a true honor to be able to play with him. I’ll always follow his career and keep in touch with him.”
When it comes to the free agency process itself, incidentally, Campbell is a fan of the interview period.
“I just think it’s a better situation for everybody. It’s better for the players, because they can see their roles, and listen to it. I think it’s better for teams because I don’t think they’re going to make the mistakes they once did. I think before, it was just like, ‘Okay, we’ve just got fire out a bunch of numbers and a bunch of term to guys.’
“When I was a free agent last time, and you really don’t know what you’re getting with the guys sometimes, or you’re just kind of juggling a little bit and throwing some stuff up in the air. Where now, I think it’s beneficial for both sides. Teams can get a chance to go look at it, make a decision. And obviously players can as well.”
Speaking of that pre-free agency time, and Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville…
“I saw Q – I live in the next town over from him – so I saw him walking the street,” recalled Campbell. “During the interview period, talking to him, he was always, ‘I’ll keep playing you, and I’ll play you a lot.’”
“I feel great,” continued Campbell. I expect to get lots of ice time, but I’ve got to earn that ice time.”
Source: SiriusXMNHL/ Transcript: Nichols
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