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The Seattle Kraken hockey team has named a woman as its new assistant coach, making her the first female full-time coach in the National Hockey League.
Jessica Campbell, 32, joined the Seattle team after playing for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the minor league team of the American Hockey League's (AHL) Kraken. Dan Bylsma, who also served as the team's coach, has been named the Kraken's new head coach.
“This is a big day for our team,” Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis said in a statement. “We are confident that both Bob and Jessica will make an immediate impact on our team as they bring valuable coaching experience to our staff.”
The Associated Press previously reported that Campbell was being discussed as a candidate for the position. She became the league's first female full-time assistant coach during her time in the AHL. She would be hired in July 2022.
She's shattered glass ceilings in other ways too: Before joining the Firebirds, she served as an assistant coach for Germany at the IIHF Men's World Championship, the first woman to coach a national team at a world championship, according to KING 5.
The coach also has experience playing in the Canadian Women's Hockey League, where she played three seasons and won the Clarkson Cup in 2016. A Saskatchewan native, Campbell played four years at Cornell University, where she was captain in her senior year.
She then represented Canada at two U-18 World Junior Championships, scoring a medal-winning goal in 2010, according to the outlet.
The team will be working with some valuable free agents next season, as the Kraken have agreed to work with Stanley Cup winner Brandon Montour and former Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson.
