After her playing career ended, Jessica Campbell discovered a new passion in coaching.
Little did she know at the time that it would eventually lead her to the NHL, becoming the first woman to work on the bench of an NHL franchise.
“I’ve always had the courage to believe this is possible, even if I couldn’t see it at the time. 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 an on-the-bench role as an assistant or associate coach in NHL history.
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She spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for Seattle’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley. She worked alongside Dan Bylsma, who was hired as the head coach for the Kraken in late May. The move to the NHL raised immediate questions about Campbell’s future.
But she has made the leap, breaking through another barrier for women in hockey. Emily Engel-Natzke was hired by the Washington Capitals in 2022 as a video coach, becoming the first woman with a full-time assistant role in the league.
Now, Campbell will be on the bench.
“I’m humbled to be in this position and while being the first is significant, my focus is always on the work, the impact, and the job itself. I never take it for granted,” Campbell said.
“I’m reminded of the importance of the work I do, and I know that if the team succeeds and I have a positive impact, it could open doors for others and change perceptions.”
Campbell had a successful career as a player in the NCAA, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and Canada’s women’s national team. She won silver at the 2015 World Championship.
After retiring in 2017, aside from a brief stint in Sweden, she focused on coaching. She was highly regarded as a skating coach and worked as an assistant coach for Germany during the 2022 IIHF World Championships.
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Her time running her own business as a skating and skill development coach made her aspire to coach in the NHL. Campbell cited her experience working with Brent Seabrook during his injury recovery as a turning point.
“I realized this is what I want to do. These players are committed to my training sessions, and I wanted to take it to the next level, get behind the bench. I felt that what I was teaching them was resonating and making a difference,” Campbell said.
At age 32, Campbell was the first full-time female assistant coach in the AHL when she joined Coachella Valley before its first season. She also had a one-game stint as an assistant on the Kraken bench for a preseason game last September.
Bylsma praised Campbell for her work in developing key players for the Kraken and expressed his eagerness to see her excel at the NHL level.
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Historically, the NHL has lagged behind other major sports leagues in having women coaches on the bench.
The NHL Coaches Association launched a Female Coaches Development Program in 2021 to expand the pool of candidates.
Even before joining the league, the Kraken were at the forefront of providing opportunities for women in hockey operations. Assistant GM Alexandra Mandrycky was among the franchise’s first front-office hires in 2018. Namita Nandakumar joined in 2020 as a senior analyst in hockey operations.
The Kraken also hired Cammi Granato, a Hall of Famer, as a pro scout in 2019. She later became an assistant GM with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022.
Alongside Campbell, the Kraken added Bob Woods to the coaching staff as one of Bylsma’s assistants. Woods had been an assistant with the Minnesota Wild since 2017.
The coaching staff is completed by assistant coach Dave Lowry, goaltending coach Steve Briere, video coach Tim Ohashi, and video assistant Brady Morgan.
