Jessica Campbell has made history by becoming the first woman to join the coaching staff of an NHL franchise. The Seattle Kraken announced on Wednesday that Campbell will serve as an assistant coach.
For the past two seasons, Campbell has been working as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken’s American League affiliate in Coachella Valley, California. She has been working alongside Firebirds Coach Dan Bylsma, who was recently hired to take over as head coach of the Kraken. There were uncertainties about whether Campbell would follow Bylsma to Seattle.
However, Campbell’s appointment marks a significant breakthrough for women in hockey. Prior to her, Emily Engel-Natzke was hired by the Washington Capitals in 2022 as a video coach, becoming the first woman to hold a full-time assistant role in the league.
Now, with Campbell joining the coaching staff, there will be a woman behind the bench in the NHL.
Bylsma spoke highly of Campbell’s commitment to player development during their time in Coachella Valley. He emphasized her ability to build strong relationships with players such as Tye Kartye, Shane Wright, and Ryker Evans, which played a crucial role in her hiring. Bylsma expressed his excitement to continue working with her at the NHL level.
Campbell had an accomplished career as a player, competing in the NCAA, Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and representing Canada in the women’s national team. She won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships.
After retiring from competitive play in 2017, except for a brief period with the Malmo Redhawks in Sweden in 2019-2020, Campbell established herself as a highly regarded skating coach. When she joined Coachella Valley in 2022, she became the first full-time female assistant coach in the AHL. She also worked as an assistant coach for Germany in the 2022 World Championships.
The 32-year-old Canadian native had a one-game stint as an assistant on the Kraken bench during a preseason contest against Calgary last September.
Having a woman on the coaching staff is an area where the NHL has lagged behind other major sports leagues such as the NBA, MLB, and NFL.
In 2021, the NHL Coaches Association launched a Female Coaches Development Program with the aim of expanding the pool of qualified female coaching candidates.
Prior to joining the NHL, the Seattle Kraken had already been at the forefront of providing opportunities for women in hockey operations. Alexandra Mandrycky, the current assistant general manager, was one of the franchise’s initial front-office hires in 2018. Namita Nandakumar also joined in 2020 as a senior analyst in hockey operations.
The Kraken further demonstrated their commitment to diversity by hiring Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato as a pro scout in 2019. Granato has since joined the Vancouver Canucks as an assistant general manager.
In addition to Campbell, the Kraken have also filled another coaching position by hiring Bob Woods as one of Bylsma’s assistants. Woods previously served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild and the Anaheim Ducks.
The rest of the coaching staff includes assistant coach Dave Lowry, goaltending coach Steve Briere, video coach Tim Ohashi, and video assistant Brady Morgan.