Jessica Campbell, currently an assistant coach for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, could potentially become the first, full-time female assistant coach in NHL history.
The news comes after the Seattle Kraken officially announced Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma as their new bench boss on Tuesday afternoon. Per Allyson Ballard of the Davy Jones’ Locker Room, both Campbell and former New York Rangers defenseman Stu Bickel have interviewed for assistant jobs under Bylsma and are in talks to round out his staff.
Campbell has been an assistant with Coachella Valley for the last two seasons and already became the second woman to ever coach an NHL game when she was behind the bench for a Kraken preseason game last September. With the Firebirds, she became the first-ever female assistant coach in the AHL and helped the team reach the Calder Cup Finals in their inaugural season.
Behind the bench in Seattle tonight, Coach Campbell! 👏
📍: SEA pic.twitter.com/af89VVgmoX
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 26, 2023
“We didn’t hire her because she’s female,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis told Ballard. “We hired her because she’s a good coach.”
Campbell is no stranger to trailblazing. She served as an assistant coach for Team Germany at the Men’s World Championships in 2022, becoming the first woman in the history of that tournament to ever do so. Before that, she spent time with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm in a player development role.
In addition to running the Firebirds’ power play, Campbell is also touted for her skating and skill development coaching. After her playing career, Campbell started JC Powerskating where she provided training for NHL names like Tyson Jost, Damon Severson, Luke Schenn, and Joel Edmundson.
The Capitals’ Emily Engel-Natzke became the first, full-time female coach of an NHL team when she was hired by the team in 2022. Engel-Natzke is the team’s video coordinator so she does not actively coach from behind the bench during games like Campbell potentially would for the Kraken.
According to Emerald City Hockey, Bylsma is also interested in talking with current Kraken assistant coaches Jay Leach and Dave Lowry who have worked under Dave Hakstol for the past two years. Campbell or Bickel’s arrival would seemingly be in addition to Leach and Lowry.
There is also the chance that Campbell will stay with the Firebirds and become their head coach. KESQ News Channel 3’s Blake Arthur believes Campbell could be a frontrunner for that position if she doesn’t make the move up to the NHL.
Coachella Valley is currently in the Western Conference Final of this year’s AHL playoffs. Their series against the Milwaukee Admirals kicks off on Wednesday.
