Two years ago, the Coachella Valley Firebirds hired Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach, making her the first female coach in AHL history, and now she’s shattered the glass ceiling again.
The Seattle Kraken named Campbell an assistant coach, making her the first female coach in NHL history, and in both cases, it was head coach Dan Bylsma who appointed her to his staff, and Bylsma has been full of praise for her work.
“During my tenure in the Coachella Valley, I have witnessed Jessica’s passion for player development,” Bylsma said, “Her ability to build relationships with our players, particularly Ty Carty, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans, was a key factor in this hire, and I look forward to continuing to work with her at the NHL level.”
Anticipating the inevitable accusations from some quarters that she was selected for some equal opportunity agenda, Kraken GM Ron Francis said, “We didn’t hire her because she’s a woman, we hired her because we think she’s a good coach. She has an interesting background in not just skating, but skill development, and that’s a big part of what they’ve done in the Coachella Valley.”
Jessica Campbell began her hockey career as a child playing with and against the boys in her hometown of Rocanville, Saskatchewan. Women’s hockey wasn’t an option at the time. She went on to play four seasons at Cornell University before going on to play professionally in Calgary and then Malmo, Sweden. She was also part of the Canadian team that won a silver medal at the 2015 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
After her playing career, Campbell began her coaching career working as a skating and skills coach. With coaching experience in Malmö, Tri-City in the US and Nuremberg in Germany, she is known as a talented coach who is respected by all her athletes.
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“When I was younger, I dreamed of playing in the NHL because that’s all I knew,” Campbell said. “I never imagined I’d be able to coach at this level. I’m just going to keep working hard and go where it takes me. I’m honored to be on this path and just keep doing the good work that I need to do to reach that goal.”
Campbell will join the staff of Dan Byrsma, who took over as head coach of the Kraken after Dave Hakstall was fired after three underachieving seasons. Byrsma previously coached the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres.
