NHL history was made on Tuesday afternoon in Seattle — all thanks to Jessica Campbell.
When the Kraken hired Dan Bylsma to take over as head coach of the team, there was the thought that Campbell, one of his top assistants in the AHL, could potentially join him in the NHL. The league has never had a full-time female coach on a bench in its history. That is, until now.
Bylsma brought Campbell with him from the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Kraken, making history in the process. At the time, the move was received with applause around the league, as something that was once thought of as impossible has now become a reality.
Campbell is the latest example of women breaking barriers not just in hockey, but in all of professional sports that are typically dominated by men.
Here's what to know about Campbell and her coaching career.
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Who is Jessica Campbell?
Campbell is in her first season as an assistant coach with the Kraken. She is the first woman to hold a full-time assistant coach job in NHL history.
The 32-year-old assistant of Bylsma joined his staff two years ago when she was hired to be one of his assistants with Coachella Valley in the AHL. After two seasons in the minor leagues, she was brought up with Bylsma when the Kraken elected to tab the coach as the replacement for Dave Hakstol.
Campbell played 10 years of high-level hockey from 2010 to 2020. She starred at Cornell, helping lead the Big Red to a Frozen Four appearance. She also played for Team Canada's international program, participating on the U18 team that won a gold medal at the 2010 World Championships, and she was on the 2015 Team Canada club that won silver at the World Championships in Sweden.
In 2017, Campbell retired from the national team and switched to a career in coaching. She worked with the likes of Tyson Jost, Joel Edmundson, and Natalie Spooner on their power skating abilities, and she eventually was hired by the Firebirds in 2022.
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"She has an interesting background not only with skating, but skill development," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said of Campbell during a news conference, per ESPN . "That's been a big part of what they've been able to do with Coachella Valley.
"She runs the power play, works with the forwards, and works with everybody on helping improve their skating, their skill development, and, as Dan said, both her and Stu Bickel have been a big part of their success down there."
Campbell's main focus is on the Kraken, who are hoping to get back to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2024. But she understands the magnitude of her hiring and what it means for girls all over the world interested in a career in hockey.
"The year ahead is going to be a lot of fun," Campbell said to NHL.com ahead of the season. "But to know and to understand that obviously there’s still at the forefront the thoughts of other women and other people who have the same aspirations as I do. So, to carry that torch every day and keep my focus on being a coach, but it definitely puts meaning into the work."
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