Yesterday it was announced that Jessica Campbell would be joining the Seattle Kraken's coaching staff as an assistant coach in charge of the forwards and power play.
Her promotion from the Coachella Valley Firebirds etched her in history as the first woman to work behind the bench of an NHL team.
Related: Kraken Hire Jessica Campbell As Assistant Coach Making Her The First Woman To Be Behind The Bench In NHL History
"Maybe in a naive way, I've had the courage to believe that this could be possible," Campbell said to the media. "And even though I didn't see it, I believed I could do it. And I think that with that inner belief, whatever it is, in sport, in life, you can create whatever you believe in."
The former Canadian international has medals from the World Championship and U-18s to go along with an excellent NCAA career. Her knowledge of the sport shouldn't be questioned and her hard work and dedication are why she is in this position.
Her hard work and dedication is more than just the knowledge she can give to her players. Her communication skills and the human connection aspect are important to her.
"I'm a big believer in communication and showing compassion for the players of where they're at and, especially when it gets hard," Campbell said. "The process has to be a human process…getting to know (players) as a person and building that trust. I think that is a strength of mine. I think there's strength in being vulnerable with players and creating a space where they can talk about their greatest challenges, whether that's on the ice, off the ice, but more so just showing them, hey, if you want to achieve this, let's create a plan. Let's put the pieces together, and let's get to work, and I'm going to stand by you and help you to stay accountable to that plan."
The change from coaching in the AHL to the NHL is drastic and Campbell knows this. The egos and the stages of the players' careers are completely different and it's something that she must and will be prepared for.
"The process is about (players) being challenged every day," Campbell said. "The balance of development is it's got to be fun to show up and do the hard work because we know that ultimately the team could have success as a result. The coaches (have to) bring as much passion and energy and enthusiasm to the same job that we're asking of the players. I'm excited to be part of that.
"(Joining the Kraken) I’m excited to start to get to know everyone's story and each player and uniquely unpack where they're at in their career and how we, as a staff, how I personally, can help them raise their game and raise the standards and help hold them accountable to be the player that they want to be."
The move by the Kraken may be groundbreaking but she says she mentioned how she doesn't feel like the only woman in the organization.
"I honestly don't feel like I'm the only (woman) in this organization," Campbell said. "And that's a very special feeling - to be part of the Seattle Kraken organization and the staff and to stand by all the other remarkable women in this league that are maybe not behind the benches, but there's a long list of incredible women that are doing phenomenal jobs here in management, scouting, player development and so I'm just excited to do my part now behind the bench."
The familiarity and trust Campbell and head coach Dan Bylsma have built will help both of them achieve success in the NHL. Adding in the veteran presence of Bob Woods will only improve the coaching staff as a whole.
The Kraken are looking to return to where they were in the 2022-23 season and with the addition of Campbell, the team is back on the right trajectory.
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