Kraken’s Jessica Campbell makes debut as first female NHL coach

Jessica Campbell is in a league of her own.

The Seattle Kraken hired Campbell in July as an assistant coach, making her the first female full-time assistant coach behind the bench in NHL history. Campbell received applause when she was introduced at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday as she took her place during the Kraken’s season-opener against the St. Louis Blues in Seattle.

The historic moment was not lost on Campbell.

“The moment leading up to the game and stepping on the bench … I’m really going to try to honor what it is, because I know, and I definitely understand that the magnitude and the importance of this moment is really important for our game,” Campbell said ahead of the game.

Campbell drew up the play on the bench as Seattle tried to tie the game, but they ultimately lost to the Blues 3-2. Head coach Dan Bylsma pointed out the silver lining: “Jessica being a female coach in the NHL for the first time, it’s great for her and it’s great for the game.”

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Campbell described Tuesday as “a normal day in terms of my work,” but noted the significance of her new role.

“For me, it’s just a normal day in terms of my work, in terms of my routine, in terms of all of those pieces,” Campbell said. “I never want to diminish the things that I’m doing because I’m so focused on the task at hand, but I also know that being focused on the task at hand has allowed me to get to this moment and is going to continue. So, I have to stay focused on what matters most, which is the guys and the team and the success that we want to have.”

Campbell, 32, made similar history in the American Hockey League when Bylsma hired her as an assistant coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022. Bylsma, a former Stanley Cup winner, brought Campbell with him to the NHL after he was named Kraken coach in May.

Coachella Valley had success with Bylsma and Campbell, reaching the AHL’s Calder Cup Finals the past two seasons. Before joining Coachella Valley, Campbell was as an assistant coach and skills coach in 2021-22 for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers in Germany’s top professional men’s league in Germany. She also was an assistant coach for Germany at the 2022 world championships.

“Hopefully somebody else will have a door held open for them versus them having to push it open and find ways to unlock it,” Campbell said. “I look at the other women around me and other people in the industry doing their piece and doing a fantastic job of it. And it’s part of a movement. It’s part of, I think, really important change. Anytime you have different people in the room, you get different and good outcomes; you get unique outcomes. You get problems solved in a different way and I think that’s how you get ahead in life and in sport.”

Campbell played from 2010-14 at Cornell University, captaining the team her senior year. She played professionally in Canada and Sweden and was MVP of the 2010 under-18 world championships as Canada won gold.

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