Why goalie Jack Campbell is leaving the ice to become a life coach

'What a lot of people don't see is the personal battle I went through throughout my career'

Published Jul 20, 2026  •  Last updated 16 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Former Toronto Maple Leaf goaltender Jack Campbell in a screenshot from video posted to his Instagram on Sunday.

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Jack Campbell has attempted to change his career path many times on an often rocky road playing the NHL’s most demanding position.

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Now he’s seeking peace and purpose off of the ice, helping others.

In a Sunday social media video post, the gregarious goaltender, who spent his final five years with two Canadian teams in Toronto and Edmonton, said he was officially retiring as an active player at age 34 to become a life coach.

“I grew up my entire life chasing one dream, and that was to play in the NHL,” Campbell said on Instagram. “I was fortunate enough to accomplish that goal, playing eight seasons in the NHL and becoming an all-star. Frankly, on paper living a pretty awesome life.”

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His career on paper

A first-round pick of Dallas in 2010, a draft that included Scott Wedgewood, Philipp Grubauer and Petr Mrazek, the American national development prospect, later a Windsor Spitfire and Soo Greyhound, won a Calder Cup with the 2014 Texas Stars.

After breaking in with the Los Angeles Kings, he was traded to the Leafs early in 2020 with forward Kyle Clifford for winger Trevor Moore and draft picks. His success with Toronto, more than 50 wins the next three seasons including a club record 10 straight, and an all-star game appearance alongside Auston Matthews, contrasted with putting too much blame on himself after losses. That included Toronto’s team-wide inability to win a playoff series, such as its seven-game loss to Montreal in 2021.

The Leafs did not re-sign him after 2021-22, leading him to the Oilers and a five-year, US$25-million contract. But he eventually lost the starting role to Stuart Skinner. Waived the next season, his issues followed him to the AHL, with Edmonton eventually buying him out.

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Entered NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program

Not long after signing a one-year $775,000 deal with his home-state Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2024, Campbell entered the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program, making only random starts for the farm team that season and not playing since.

“(I am) super grateful for my days of playing, but what a lot of people don’t see is the personal battle I went through throughout my career,” Campbell said in his video.

“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.”

His own life coach was an inspiration

Campbell said his own life coach was an inspiration and that he was also fortunate to have worked with some of the world’s best sports psychologists and therapists, leading to his new passion.

“That’s why I’m so excited to share with you. In my package, we’ll break down how you’re doing, how you’re getting in your own way, what you’re trying to accomplish and how we get there.

“I was trying to do it all on my own for 30 years of my life and now I’m kicking myself, ‘Why couldn’t I have found this sooner?’

“Whether you’re chasing an amazingly lofty goal or just really struggling, you want somebody to see you, listen to you, be heard. I’ll be your guy.”

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