The Seattle Kraken made history this week when they hired Jessica Campbell.
Campbell became the first woman in NHL history to be hired as a full-time assistant coach behind a team’s bench.
Campbell has spent the past two seasons working as an assistant coach with Seattle’s AHL affiliate, Coachella Valley, alongside Dan Bylsma, who was named head coach of the Kraken in late May.
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Jessica Campbell was hired as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, becoming the first woman to work on the bench for an NHL franchise. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
“Jessica and I have both coached in the Coachella Valley for the past two years,” Bylsma said, “and I am confident in what she can bring to our staff and to our players. I have watched her develop strong relationships with promising players. … She has the ability to empathize with players about their game and what they can bring to the team, and she has demonstrated that over the past two seasons. … That is why she was such a compelling candidate to join our staff.”
“Her ability to build relationships with players was a key factor in this hire, and we look forward to continuing to work with her at the NHL level.”
Germany assistant coach Jessica Campbell stands behind her players on the bench during the Hockey World Championship Group A match between France and Germany on May 16, 2022 in Helsinki, Finland. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
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Campbell played collegiate hockey at Cornell University and then played three seasons in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, including a gold medal at the 2010 Women’s U-18 World Championship, where she recorded seven goals and eight assists in five games.
She retired in 2017 and later founded the athlete development brand JC Powerskating.
The 32-year-old Rocanville, Saskatchewan native was hired before the start of the Coachella Valley’s inaugural season and became the AHL’s first full-time female assistant coach. She also served one game as an assistant on the Kraken’s bench, in a preseason game against Calgary in September.
Emily Engel-Natske has been hired by the Washington Capitals as a video coach in 2022, becoming the first woman to hold a full-time assistant role in the league.
The Kraken will open the season on October 8th against the St. Louis Blues.
Coachella Valley Firebirds assistant coach Jessica Campbell, left, works out behind the bench with the Seattle Kraken coaching staff during the second period of an NHL preseason game against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 25, 2023 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond, File)
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Seattle finished sixth in the Pacific Division last season and missed the playoffs, but the Kraken have secured a playoff berth in 2022-23 for just the organization’s second time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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