Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
Three days, three games, four points later, Andrew Campbell It's safe to say it was a successful opening weekend.
Last Wednesday, the Ottawa Senators announced they had lifted David Bell He assumed the position of head coach at Belleville. Campbell, a longtime AHL defenseman in his second season as an assistant coach with the Senators, was suddenly handed a new assignment: Ottawa named him interim head coach of its AHL affiliate.
The move comes before the Sens travel to Rochester on Friday to begin a three-quarter weekend. They then cross the border again for a Saturday matinee in Toronto before wrapping up their homestand against the rival Marlies.
The road to the AHL is familiar territory for Campbell, who played 719 games in the league between 2008 and 2019 with the Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks. He also played 42 games in the NHL.
A leader in all aspects of his game, Campbell quickly moved into coaching, joining the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League as an assistant in 2021. He took his chance in Belleville in July 2024.
Coaching changes during the AHL season typically occur when an NHL team shakes up its coaching staff and promotes a staff member from its AHL affiliate. However, as far as Belleville is concerned, the team went 2-8-2-0 before Ottawa elected to restructure its AHL operations. Belleville First Year General Manager Matt Turek Having served as general manager at Hamilton, his tenure overlapped with Campbell's.
After a period of practice, bus rides and morning skates, it was time for Campbell to lead the B-Sens behind the bench.
Belleville faced Rochester on Friday and earned one point in a 3-2 overtime loss. The next day, the Sens' 2-0 lead gradually dwindled. Lacy ThomsonWith 1 minute and 57 seconds left in regular time, the game entered overtime again. Although they ultimately lost 4-3, the point earned was one earned by a team trying to regain its footing.
Returning to their home court at CAA Arena the next afternoon, the Senators launched a fierce counterattack. They took 2-1 and 5-2 leads before turning the game into a rout and tying the team's all-time scoring record with an 8-4 victory.
“The first 24 hours have been an absolute whirlwind,” Campbell said before his first game in his new role. “The phone has been busy for the past while, which is good.
“We have a really good team in that room.”
Sunday's 8-4 result was still fresh in the minds of both teams as the Boxing Day matinee resumed action at Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Belleville holds a one-point lead over the Marlies in the North Division, but after the turmoil, they remain just six points behind co-leads Syracuse and Laval.
As a player, Campbell experienced many of these three-quarter weekends. By Sunday night, he knew what his players had just been through, especially considering the all-division roster.
“It's been a long weekend,” Campbell said after his first head coaching win. “For these guys to put in the effort they did, [I am] Just proud to have them in that room. “
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
