One of the best players to ever put on a Penticton hockey jersey, he is fondly remembered not only as a great hockey player, but also as a fun-loving friend, an all-around great athlete and a proud Pentictonian.
Chad Campbell, who passed away the last week of June, will be remembered by family, friends, fans and loved ones on Wednesday, July 17th in the East Ballroom at Penticton Lakeside Resort.
Campbell is a former leading scorer in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League and was a key member of the Penticton Broncos, the league's 1972-73 championship team.
He attended the University of Denver on a full scholarship, where he also excelled in scoring, and was drafted by the former World Hockey Association's Houston Aeros.
Former Canadian Hockey Association president and Edmonton Oilers general manager Bob Nicholson was one of Campbell's closest friends and a former Broncos teammate.
They met as friends as children, played hockey together for years, and maintained a close and enduring friendship into their adult years.
“We met in minor hockey and played together for a few years,” he said. “We won a state championship my midget year and then played three years together for the Broncos. Me and Chad have known each other for a long time and have remained really good friends.”
“I would come back to Penticton every summer and we'd always meet up and play golf and catch up on old times.”
Last November, a big reunion was held for the Broncos' championship winning team in Penticton.
“Nobody enjoyed it more than Chad,” Nicholson said. “He wasn't feeling too well at the time, but I don't know what it was, but he was in great spirits. Almost everyone attended the reunion and had a great time. Chad was in the middle of all the fun, so we were all lucky that the reunion took place last November.”
Nicholson said Campbell was an extremely talented player whose offensive prowess was unmatched in the BCJHL during his playing days.
“He was a great offensive player,” he said, “and could shoot the puck, but his biggest talent offensively was his speed. He had elite skating speed that set him apart from some of the other guys he was competing against in junior at the time.”
Nicholson said Campbell and teammate Bruce Affleck were both offered and accepted full hockey scholarships to the University of Denver after the 1973 season.
“He continued to do well in Denver,” he said, “but not well enough to go pro, but the Houston Aeros of the WHA drafted him and offered him to come to their camp, so he did, but I think he only brought his golf clubs.”
Campbell and Nicholson were in their prime during the heyday of the Philadelphia Flyers, also known as the Broad Street Bullies, and undersized players like them weren't given much of a chance to succeed at the highest level of North American professional hockey.
Nicholson said things would have been very different if Campbell had played in the modern game.
“His style really suited today's game with his speed,” he said. “He wasn't a big guy, but he could move the puck and shoot it, and that's exactly the type of player you want in today's game.”
Nicholson said Campbell was a star on the ice as well as off it.
“Chad was always at the center of it all. He was a great teammate and we all loved playing with him. He was a great player and always had a strong desire to win.”
Nicholson said Campbell's athletic excellence extends beyond hockey.
“He was an outstanding squash player, a great golfer and a talented tennis player,” he said. “When it came to sports, he was naturally gifted and he played to win.”
Nicholson expects a large crowd of family, former teammates, friends and acquaintances to gather next Wednesday to officially farewell Campbell.
“We had a lot of great times together and kept in contact right up until the last few days,” he said.
Nicholson and several Oilers players sent him the video as a parting gift shortly before he died.
“There was a lot of commentary on the video about how great No. 97 (Connor McDavid) was with the Oilers, but let's not forget how great No. 17 and Chad Campbell were at the time,” Nicholson said. “My daughter showed Campbell the video and he was laughing. Those were his last words to Chad.”
Okanagan Hockey School president Andy Oakes said Campbell and Nicholson were both at OHS's inaugural year in 1963 and it was clear they would both excel in hockey.
Both Campbell and Nicholson compete in the annual OHS Summer Golf Tournament, demonstrating their continued support of the school over the past few decades.
OHS founder Larry Rand said Campbell was not only one of the best players Penticton has ever produced, but also a great person who was a strong supporter of all levels of hockey in the region for decades.
Campbell was an instructor at OHS for five years and Phoenix for two years.
“Chad was a great instructor and was always great with the kids,” he said.
Penticton Bees junior hockey recently announced that the team's leading scorer award will be renamed the Chad Campbell Award in honour of the Penticton Bronco alumnus.
Campbell was the BCJHL's leading scorer in his final season with the Broncos, scoring 123 points, including 53 goals, in 62 regular season games in the 1972-73 season.
That season, Penticton defeated Chilliwack in seven games in the BCJHL final. Campbell and the Broncos won the Doyle Cup, the BC/Alberta provincial championship, in five games to the Calgary Canucks. The Broncos lost the Abbott Cup, the Western Canadian championship, in a seven-game series against Portage la Prairie.
Campbell played four seasons at the University of Denver from 1974-1977, scoring 136 points in 143 games.
A memorial service for Campbell will be held on July 17th from 12:30pm to 2:30pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Okanagan Hockey Community Foundation, 201-853 Eckert Avenue West, Penticton.
Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Penticton Herald
