When the Seattle Kraken opened their 2024-25 season on Tuesday afternoon towards the St. Louis Blues, there was some massive historical past made behind their bench.
It was at that time that first-year assistant coach Jessica Campbell turned the primary lady to ever function a coach throughout an NHL common season sport.
Campbell performed on the collegiate degree for Cornell and was additionally a daily for the Canadian Nationwide Crew, profitable silver on the 2015 World Championships.
She retired from the Nationwide Crew in 2017 and stepped into teaching roles, first working with particular person gamers because the proprietor of an influence skating firm.
Firstly of the 2023-24 season she was employed by the Kraken group to function an assistant coach for the group’s top-minor league affiliate, the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. At that time she was already the primary lady to be employed on a full-time foundation by an NHL group.
This season they promoted her to the NHL group to function an assistant alongside new head coach Dan Bylsma. They each labored alongside one another with Coachella Valley.
It’s a important second within the historical past of the league, not solely as a result of Campbell is the primary lady to serve in such a high-ranking position, however as a result of hockey has traditionally been one of many least various sports activities in North America.
That’s slowly beginning to change, and this can be a massive step in that progress.
