After her playing career ended, Jessica Campbell discovered a new passion in coaching.
Little did she know at the time that it would ultimately lead her to the NHL, making her the first woman to work on the bench of an NHL franchise.
“I’ve always had the courage to believe that this is possible. Even though I didn’t see it, I believed I could do it,” Campbell said. “And I think with that inner belief, in sports and in life, you can achieve whatever you believe in.”
Campbell was recently hired as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken, making her the first woman to hold such a role in NHL history.
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Over the past two seasons, Campbell worked as an assistant coach for Seattle’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley under Dan Bylsma, who was recently appointed as the head coach for the Kraken. There were speculations about Campbell’s move to the NHL.
She will indeed be making the move, breaking yet another barrier for women in hockey. Emily Engel-Natzke was hired by the Washington Capitals in 2022 as a video coach, marking her as the first woman to hold a full-time assistant role in the league.
Now, there will be a woman on the NHL bench.
“I’m honored to be in this position, and while being the first is significant, my focus is always on the work itself. It’s about making an impact and doing the job well. There’s a lot to this game and this role, so I never take it for granted,” Campbell expressed.
“The most important thing for me is that my work has meaning, and if the team succeeds and I have a positive impact, it could open doors for others and change perspectives.”
With an impressive background as a player in the NCAA, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and Canada’s women’s national team, Campbell retired in 2017 except for a brief period with the Malmo Redhawks in Sweden in 2019-20. She then transitioned to coaching, earning recognition as a skilled skating coach before joining Coachella Valley in 2022. Campbell had also served as an assistant coach for Germany during the 2022 IIHF World Championships.
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During her time running her own business as a skating and skill development coach, Campbell realized that coaching in the NHL was a dream worth pursuing. She particularly highlighted her experience working with Brent Seabrook during his injury recovery.
“I knew this was my calling. These players were attending my sessions in large numbers, and I wanted to pursue this goal in a different manner. Getting behind the bench felt like the right path, and I felt that what I was teaching was resonating with the players in a different way,” Campbell shared.
The 32-year-old from Rocanville, Saskatchewan, made history as the first full-time female assistant coach in the AHL when she joined Coachella Valley before its inaugural season. She also briefly served as an assistant on the Kraken bench for a preseason game against Calgary last September.
Bylsma commended Campbell for her work in developing key players like Ryker Evans, Shane Wright, and Tye Kartye at Coachella Valley, which influenced his decision to bring her to Seattle.
“Tye Kartye put in the work. It’s all on Tye, but Jessica’s guidance played a crucial role. She has proven herself over the past two years, making me eager to see her excel at the NHL level,” Bylsma stated.
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Having a female coach on the bench has been an area where the NHL has lagged behind other major sports leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NFL. The NHL Coaches Association initiated a Female Coaches Development Program in 2021 to expand the pool of available candidates.
Even prior to joining the league, the Kraken had been at the forefront of providing opportunities for women in hockey operations. Alexandra Mandrycky, the current assistant general manager, was one of the franchise’s initial front-office hires in 2018 as the director of hockey administration, playing a key role in hiring General Manager Ron Francis.
In 2020, Namita Nandakumar was hired as a senior analyst in hockey operations.
Additionally, the Kraken appointed Hall of Famer Cammi Granato as a pro scout in 2019, a position she held before joining the Vancouver Canucks as an assistant GM in 2022.
Joining Campbell on the coaching staff is Bob Woods, who became one of Bylsma’s assistants. Woods had been an assistant with Minnesota since 2017 but was released when head coach Dean Evason was fired early last season.
The coaching staff is completed by assistant coach Dave Lowry, goaltending coach Steve Briere, video coach Tim Ohashi, and video assistant Brady Morgan.
