In the regular season debut vs. the St. Louis Blues, Seattle Kraken coach Jessica Campbell made history, becoming the first full-time female assistant coach ever in the NHL. Despite losing 3-2 vs. the Blues, Campbell will forever be remembered as a pioneer in the sport of hockey, and it is well deserved as she has climbed the coaching ranks due to her success.
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Notably, Campbell previously coached for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, which is the Kraken's AHL affiliate team, for two seasons, and led the team to consecutive Calder Cup Finals appearances (2022, 2023); the Firebirds had the most goals (252) in the AHL last season.
Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma was hired by Seattle this past offseason, so as a result Campbell who coached with him, was able to make the jump to the next level.
Bylsma gave a statement on Campbell's hiring.
"During our tenure in Coachella Valley, I saw firsthand Jessica's commitment to player development. Her ability to establish relationships with her players, specifically Tye Kartye, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans, was an important factor in this hire. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with her at the NHL level."
Campbell talked about how her being the first AHL and NHL woman coach transcends the sport.
"It fuels me everyday just knowing that I am a part of something way bigger than myself and my job in coaching," Campbell said on the Today Show Wednesday, following her debut.
Jessica Campbell became the first ever female assistant coach in the history of the NHL. pic.twitter.com/SENFlAjwal
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 9, 2024
To point out, she also has experience on the international level as she coached in Germany for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL league, in addition to being the assistant coach of the 2022 IIHF World Championship Germany team.
In view of her playing career, Campbell has quite the resume, as she played on the collegiate level for Cornell University (2010-2014), in addition to suiting up professionally for the Calgary Inferno (Canadian Women's Hockey League). Not to mention, Campbell has won two medals ('09, '10) as a member of the U-18 Women's World Championship Canadian team, while also winning a gold medal (2014) and silver medal (2015) on the national team.
Furthermore, Campbell is also known for her appearances on TV, as she and her partner, Asher Hill, were runner-ups on a Canadian reality show called "Battle of the Blades," where hockey players and figure skaters team up to compete in competition.
The next chance to see Campbell on the team's bench will come in the Kraken's next game vs. the Minnesota Wild on October 12 at 8:00 pm ET.
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