There's one part of the NHL offseason that doesn't always make the big news: coaching changes, especially assistant coach changes. That all changed when the Seattle Kraken made history by hiring Jessica Campbell as an assistant to Dan Bylsma. Campbell became the first female coach, head or assistant to work behind the bench for an NHL club.
Campbell's success thanks to the support of his colleagues and predecessors
The NHL has a history of women making their mark on franchises — a history that is often forgotten — Manon Rome suited up in a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform for an exhibition match in 1992. Kendall Coyne Schofield competed in the Fastest Skater contest at the All-Star event in 2019. Margaret Norris was president of the Detroit Red Wings in 1952 at age 25.
The Stanley Cup has the names of women inscribed on it, including Sonia Scurfield, co-owner of the 1989 champion Calgary Flames, and Marie-Denis DeBartolo, president of the 1991 winner Pittsburgh Penguins.
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There are many other examples, but the reality is that the NHL is a male-dominated league. Becoming a coach, even as an assistant, is quite an accomplishment. Every coach has their own style. Some are more aggressive, while others communicate more intellectually. It's easy to understand how a locker room or ice rink filled with male hormones would not respond to anyone other than other men – people who “get it.”
But the reality is that hockey, like any other professional sport or competition, is a place where nuance thrives. In 2024, it is arguably past time in North America to return to expected roles for men and women. The relative success of the Professional Women's Hockey League's (PWHL) inaugural season helped pave the way for broader acceptance of women's presence in the NHL.
Campbell's journey has been filled with stops both in and out of Canada. As a player, she built her career with the Calgary Inferno of the now-defunct Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), where she was team captain in the league's 2014-15 All-Star Game. Her CWHL pinnacle came in 2016 when the Inferno won the Clarkson Cup, the Stanley Cup's equivalent. Campbell also played for Canada at the U-18 level, winning a silver medal in 2009 and a gold medal in 2010. She then helped Canada win a gold medal at the 4 Nations Cup in 2014, and two more silver medals at the 4 Nations Cup and World Championships a year later.
Her transition from the rink to the bench came just a few years after she hung up her skates in 2017 (she played very briefly in Sweden in 2019-20). It began as an assistant and skills coach for the Nuremberg Ice Tigers in Germany's top league in the 2021-22 season. During her time in Germany, she sat on the bench as an assistant for the men's national team at the 2022 World Championships, where the team reached the quarterfinals. What followed was the step that led most directly to her current role: two seasons as Bylsma's assistant with the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League. During that period, the club reached consecutive Calder Cup finals. So players such as Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton know her well.
After all, the Saskatchewan native was a logical choice: She didn't come out of nowhere as a symbolic hire; she's good at teaching hockey skills and tactics.
On the coaching side, Becky Hammon serves as the head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. She spent seven seasons with the San Antonio Spurs alongside Coach Gregg Popovich, where she coached players like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan. Imagine being the first female coach in the NBA, telling future Hall of Famers what to do. It would have been a groundbreaking moment that led the NHL and the Kraken to where they are today.
The Kraken swims to its own rhythm
Many NHL teams are giving opportunities to women. The Montreal Canadiens named Chantal McAbee as vice president of hockey public relations. The Toronto Maple Leafs named Lianne Hederson as director of hockey operations. Lauren Cochran is the chief marketing officer for the Florida Panthers, and many other teams are giving opportunities to women.
The Kraken are no exception. Aleksandra Mandrycky is vice president and assistant general manager, Namita Nandakumar is senior hockey operations analyst, Dani Chew is a quantitative analyst, Fiona McKenna is a data engineer, Justin Lai works in player development as does Caitlin Parker, Brooke Tanner is executive assistant to the general manager and Molly Putrak is assistant in team services.
As the league's youngest organization aside from the Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes), the team is still finding its way in many ways. Building a competitive franchise requires the best people in every role, from the coaching staff to the people analyzing data and creating compelling marketing campaigns to drive ticket and merchandise sales.
Seattle has already seen big changes this offseason, most notably the addition of Campbell as an assistant to Bob Woods. Like all 31 rival teams, the Kraken want to win, and Campbell knows that well.
