Gary Scott Campbell (June 22, 1957 – September 3, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who was drafted first overall by the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in the

1977 WHA Amateur Draft The 1977 WHA Amateur Draft was the fifth and final draft held by the World Hockey Association. __NOTOC__ Selections by Round Below are listed the selections in the 1977 WHA Amateur Draft. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 ...

. Campbell was born in Toronto, Ontario, but grew up in Guelph, Ontario.

Playing career

After a stellar junior career with the London Knights, Campbell was selected first overall by the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in the

, as well as ninth overall by the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 1977 NHL amateur draft. Campbell opted to join the Aeros. Campbell played 149 WHA games for the Aeros and the Winnipeg Jets, and came to the NHL with the Jets when they joined that league in 1980. He and Morris Lukowich were the two players protected by the Jets from the dispersal draft, showing the faith the team had in his abilities. However, the cold weather in Winnipeg exacerbated a chronic asthma condition and he requested a trade after a season there. The asthma condition ultimately forced him into retirement at the age of 25 after briefly also playing for the St. Louis Blues.

Post hockey

After retiring from professional hockey, Campbell became involved in

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

and found success as a stable owner. He died on September 3, 2022, from cancer.

Career statistics

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Scott 1957 births 2022 deaths Canadian ice hockey defencemen Houston Aeros (WHA) players Houston Aeros draft picks Sportspeople from Guelph Ice hockey people from Toronto London Knights players National Hockey League first-round draft picks Salt Lake Golden Eagles (CHL) players St. Louis Blues draft picks St. Louis Blues players Tulsa Oilers (1964–1984) players Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) players Winnipeg Jets (WHA) players World Hockey Association first-overall draft picks Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States