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Campbell not worried about reception in San Jose

Image (1) Campbell-thumb-250x166-11507.jpg for post 1600

Brian Campbell will be making an extended return to the home of the San Jose Sharks over the next two weeks, but this time he’s not worried about the reception he’ll receive from the fans.

“I didn’t like it my first time back,” Campbell told David Pollack of the San Jose Mercury-News, but this time he’s prepared for what may happen:

“But then I talked with people who have been through that before,” Campbell added, “and I think sometimes it’s a sign of appreciation that they’re disappointed I wasn’t there anymore. I think you try to turn everything into compliments in some sort of way, or positives. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m right, but I’ll look at it that way.”

Sharks fans weren’t very happy with Campbell, when the team gave up Steve Bernier and a first-round draft pick for him at the 2008 trade deadline only to see him vacate in free agency just a few months later.

That’s always the risk you take when trading for a pending unrestricted free agent, and Campbell says he was always up front with the team as to his desires once the season was over.

“They were aware of my situation,” said Campbell, who wanted to play closer to his Southern Ontario roots. “I was up front with them the whole time. It is what it is and I have nothing bad to say about the city or management or anything. The organization’s first class and it’s a great place to be.”