Oilers’ Jack Campbell joined by Manny Legace in Bakersfield, Blackhawks Corey Perry to step away for foreseeable future, and more

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell has been granted permission to bring goaltending coach Manny Legace to work with him in the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors.

“Legace, the former goaltender coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, worked with Campbell last summer,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday night during a headlines segment.

“Campbell enjoyed the bond and relationship, and wanted to work with Legace while he’s working his way back to the NHL.”

After appearing in five games with the Oilers, Campbell put up a .873 save percentage and 4.50 goals against average, which resulted in him being assigned to the Condors. He officially cleared waivers and joined the team in Bakersfield on November 8th.

Since joining the Condors, Campbell’s performance hasn’t improved much, as he holds his .873 save percentage with a goals-against average of 3.26 after four games. Despite adversity, the netminder did play a pivotal role in the Condors’ win on Tuesday night, receiving a shutout in Bakersfield’s 2-0 victory over the Henderson Silver Knights.

Legace, who currently works for the Columbus Blue Jackets as their goaltending coach, a role he’s held since 2018-19, was drafted by the Hartford Whalers and later a part of the 2002 Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup winning team. A year after the Whalers relocated to North Carolina in 1997 to become the Carolina Hurricanes, Legace was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, where he posted a record of 2-9-2 before signing with the Red Wings as a free agent in 1999. He remained in Detroit for six years with a career record of 112-34-19 throughout 180 games. He signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues in 2006 and then the Hurricanes in 2009 before retiring in October 2012. 

“With all of the rumours about trades the Oilers could make, I still do believe it’s their first choice to have Campbell rejoin the team and improve his play,” Friedman said.

Last season, Campbell stood out as the Oilers’ No.1 goaltender with a record of 21-9-4 throughout 34 games. Still, Stuart Skinner, the determined 25-year-old, outshone Campbell to become the team’s starter throughout the postseason. 

Blackhawks Corey Perry to step away for foreseeable future

Chicago Blackhawks forward Corey Perry will be stepping away from the team for the foreseeable future due to personal reasons, his agency announced on Saturday.

Pat Morris of Newport, the agency that represents the 38-year-old, released a statement saying, “Corey Perry has stepped away from the Chicago Blackhawks to attend to personal matters. Corey and his family appreciate privacy at this time.”

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said that the decision was the team’s and not Perry’s, noting he would be away from the team for the foreseeable future, but he did not provide any additional details.

Perry last appeared with the team during Wednesday night’s contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets and has been absent from practices and games since then.

Before the news surfaced, Perry was off to a relatively solid start to the 2023-24 campaign, scoring four goals and nine points in 16 games with the Blackhawks. His performance was on pace for a 46-point season if he were to play all 82 regular season games, which would have stood as his most productive season since 2017-18 with the Anaheim Ducks. 

Perry was initially the 28th overall selection by Anaheim in the 2003 NHL draft, spending 14 seasons with the team and capturing a Stanley Cup in 2007. In 2011, he added to his hardware collection by becoming the recipient of the Hart Trophy and the Rocket Richard Trophy before being bought out in 2019. He spent short one-year stints with the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning before being traded to the Blackhawks this past June. 

Rangers Jacob Trouba fined for high-sticking.

The NHL’s department of player safety has levied a $5,000 fine against New York Rangers defenceman Jacob Trouba after high-sticking Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

The incident occurred during the Rangers’ 7-4 victory over the Bruins on Saturday afternoon. Several players were involved in a post-whistle scrum late into the second period when Trouba and Frederic began to get involved with one another. It resulted in Trouba swinging his stick and striking the Bruin in the side of the head. Trouba avoided being handed any discipline in the form of a penalty after the incident, finishing the game with an assist and two shots with 21:54 of average ice time.

Trouba has a reputation as a heavy-hitting blueliner and a borderline dirty player with suspensions and fines in the past.

Since joining the Rangers in 2019, Trouba has identified himself as a solid play-making defenceman, too. His 33 five-on-five primary assists in that span are tied for 26th among others at his position. The blueliner has scored one goal and eight points in 19 games, putting him on pace for a 34-point finish over the rest of the season. 

Trouba was the initially ninth overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets in 2012. He spent six seasons with the organization before being traded to the Rangers. In five years in New York, Trouba has scored 29 goals and 116 points over 290 games.