Jessica Campbell made NHL history on Wednesday afternoon when she was hired by the Seattle Kraken to be one of head coach Dan Bylsma’s assistant coaches. Campbell will be the first woman to ever take up a position behind an NHL team’s bench.
Campbell has been an assistant with the Coachella Valley Firebirds for the last two seasons under Bylsma 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 back-to-back Calder Cup Finals in their first two seasons in existence.
The @SeattleKraken have added Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach, making her the first woman to be named an assistant, associate or head coach in NHL history. pic.twitter.com/fr26CouHdI
— NHL (@NHL) July 3, 2024
Per Allyson Ballard of the Davy Jones’ Locker Room, both Campbell and former New York Rangers defenseman Stu Bickel interviewed for assistant jobs under Bylsma. Seattle opted for Campbell and former Hershey Bears head coach and Washington Capitals assistant coach, Bob Woods, to round out Bylsma’s staff.
“I had conversations with multiple coaches and different coaches,” Bylsma told the Kraken’s Bob Condor. “That led to Bob and Jessica.”
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.
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 will for the Kraken.
Campbell headed up the Firebirds’ power play under Bylsma and will take up the same duties in Seattle and work with the team’s forwards.
“She’s a huge part of our team, huge part of our staff,” Firebirds forward Luke Henman said during this year’s Calder Cup Finals. “She runs the power play. She does a great job with that. She always has a smile on her face every day. She’s a great teacher. It’s awesome to learn from her and I’m excited to see what the future holds for her.”
Campbell is also a talented skating and skill development coach. After her playing career ended after the 2019-20 season, Campbell started JC Powerskating where she provided training for NHL names like Mat Barzal, Brent Seabrook, Tyson Jost, Damon Severson, Luke Schenn, and Joel Edmundson.
“I’m confident of what [Jessica] can do for our staff and bring to the players,” Bylsma said. “She has the ability to relate to players about their games and what they bring to a team. She’s demonstrated that over the last two seasons. That’s why she is such an appealing candidate and why she’s joining our staff.”
Seattle also announced that Dave Lowry will be returning to the team’s bench. Lowry has been an assistant with the Kraken for two seasons.
