Meet the NHL’s first female assistant coach

History was made on Tuesday as the Seattle Kraken played the St. Louis Blues on the NHL season’s opening day.

For the first time in NHL history, a woman was behind the bench coaching a team.

Jessica Campbell was recently hired by the Kraken as the league’s first full-time female assistant coach.

According to USA Today , she received applause when she was introduced at the game and took her historic place behind the bench.

Who is Jessica Campbell?

When Dan Bylsma, who coached the Coachella Valley Firebirds, was hired to be the head coach for the Seattle Kraken, he brought Campbell with him from the American Hockey League affiliate team, per Sporting News.

Campbell is a Canadian former hockey player from Melville, Saskatchewan. She played hockey in Canada, America and Europe, per The Athletic .

She has worked as a skating, skills and assistant coach around the world.

According to The Athletic , during her coaching career Campbell made history as the first female coach in multiple leagues and tournaments.

In 2020, Campbell participated in the reality competition show “Battle of the Blades,” where hockey players are paired up with figure skaters to perform weekly, according to the New York Post . Campbell and her partner were the runners-up that season.

Where did Jessica Campbell play hockey?

According to Sporting News , Campbell has 10 years of experience playing high level hockey.

Campbell was the captain for the Canada U18 team, which won a gold medal at world championships, per The Athletic.

She spent her college career at Cornell, where, as a freshman, she helped lead her team to the Frozen Four. She was the team captain her final year, per USA Today .

She also played for the Canadian national team at the women’s world championships.

According to The Athletic , Campbell spent three years playing professionally in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League for the Calgary Inferno. She also played in Sweden for the Malmö Redhawks.

Jessica Campbell’s coaching career before the Kraken

After retiring from playing, Campbell started working as a skating coach, starting her business JC Power Skating in 2019.

According to The Athletic , during the COVID-19 pandemic when the NHL was suspended, she was a skating coach for multiple NHL players, including Damon Severson, Luke Schenn and Tyson Jost.

She also worked as a skating coach for players in the Swedish Hockey League and with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers in Germany.

In 2022, as an assistant coach for the German National Team, Campbell became the first woman to coach at men’s world championships, per The Athletic .

After seeing her coach at the men’s world championships, Bylsma hired her to be an assistant coach for the Firebirds, making her the first female coach in the AHL.

In their two years coaching the team, Campbell and Bylsma led the Firebirds to back-to-back appearances at the Calder Cup finals, per the New York Post.

According to The Athletic , Campbell’s background as a skating and skills coach allows her to help and advise players on multiple aspects of their game.