Who Is Jessica Campbell? All About NHL’s Potential First Female Full-Time Coach With Seattle Kraken

Jessica Campbell is in talks, and could be a potential choice for a full-time assistant coach role with Seattle Kraken. She could be the first female to assume this role.

By Natasha Bose

Published on May 29, 2024 | 04:31 PM IST | 118.5K

Jessica Campbell

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Who is Jessica Campbell?
GM Ron Francis praises Kraken but defers from confirming coaching status

Jessica Campbell, assistant coach for the Coachella Valley, could potentially be placed in the same position at the NHL level. The news came to light after Dan Bylsma’s recent conversation with reporters in Seattle, which was confirmed by NHL insider Chris Johnston on X (formerly Twitter)

This isn’t the first time, Campbell is set to create history. Before the commencement of the first season, when she was hired, Jessica became the first-ever full-time female assistant coach to take the helm of the AHL.

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Who is Jessica Campbell?

Canadian coach Jessica Campbell's hockey career started off as a remarkable player. Not only did she play at the IIHF Women's World Championship, but she also participated at the Four Nations Cup, representing the Canadian women's national team.

Being the owner of JC Powerskating, she was surrounded by big names in the industry, like Tyson Jost, Joel Edmundson, and Natalie Spooner, which helped to further nurture and hone her talents.

Her first, most notable milestone, that created history came in the form of her being the first woman to ever hold the position of a full-time AHL female assistant coach with Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle Kraken’s affiliate.

Surely, players such as Ryker Evans, Tye Kartye, and, more have benefitted immensely under her guidance, as she explores new horizons and breaks more records.

GM Ron Francis praises Kraken but defers from confirming coaching status

Ron Francis, general manager of Seattle Kraken, has not confirmed whether these rumors are true or not. Francis said, “No conversations have taken place yet, to confirm that Campbell will be filling the role. There have only been talks internally, with Coach Dan Bylsma regarding potential options.”

“The job she’s done is the reason why we hired her. We didn’t hire her because she was female. We hired her because she was a good coach,” Ron stated. “She has an interesting background, not only skating but skill development and that’s a big part of what they’ve been able to do at Coachella Valley,” he went on to add.