History was made as Jessica Campbell stepped into the bench for the Seattle Kraken’s 2024-25 season opener against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday afternoon.
Campbell, who is an assistant for the club, became the first woman to work as a full-time coach in an NHL game.
Prior to this season, she spent two years on Dan Bylsma’s coaching staff in Coachella Valley with the team’s AHL affiliate. The Firebirds went 46-15-6 during the 2023–24 season and made the Calder Cup Finals.
Bylsma was promoted as the Kraken head coach in May and clearly was impressed with Campbell’s work on his staff, and he brought her into the fold.
Campbell also has experience as a player, having competed for four seasons of collegiate hockey at Cornell University, captaining the team her senior year before making her professional debut for the Calgary Inferno in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL).
A Historic Game For Jessica Campbell And The NHL
The Seattle Kraken announced Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach this past July, making her the first full-time female coach in NHL history.
This role was significant not only for Campbell but for the sport as a whole, marking a milestone in terms of diversity in professional hockey coaching.
Her debut on the bench for the Kraken’s season opener against the St. Louis Blues was widely celebrated. Unfortunately, they suffered a tough home opening loss to the Blues, falling 3-2.
The game itself might not have ended in the Kraken’s favor, but the scoreline was a mere footnote in the larger narrative of the evening.
Seattle is expected to be right in the thick of the playoff race all season and should improve upon last year’s 81 points total. Campbell will no doubt be instrumental in helping Bylsma and the team achieve their goals
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Positive Support
The reaction to Jessica Campbell’s NHL debut has been overwhelmingly positive.
Campbell’s role with the Kraken, under Bylsma, is not just about her being the “first” but about normalizing women in leadership roles within professional men’s sports. And more importantly, she didn’t get the job for that reason alone.
Her expertise in skating and skill development, particularly in running the power play, showcases why she was chosen – for her coaching acumen, not for a headline.
Jessica Campbell’s debut as an NHL coach is more than a milestone; it’s a stepping stone for future generations.
The Kraken next take the ice on the road Saturday against the Minnesota Wild.
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