It didn't take long for history to be made in the 2024-25 NHL season.
Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell became the first woman in NHL history to work a regular-season game as a coach in Tuesday's opener against the St. Louis Blues.
Campbell was greeted with a loud ovation as the Kraken staff was introduced pre-game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
“The year ahead is going to be a lot of fun," Campbell told NHL.com ahead of her historic debut. "But to know and to understand that obviously there’s still at the forefront the thoughts of other women and other people who have the same aspirations as I do. So, to carry that torch every day and keep my focus on being a coach, but it definitely puts meaning into the work.”
As Campbell's NHL coaching career officially gets underway, here's what to know about the hockey trailblazer:
Where is Jessica Campbell from?
NHL
Campbell is a native of Melville, Saskatchewan, in Canada.
How old is Jessica Campbell?
She's 32 years old.
How long has Jessica Campbell been with the Kraken?
Dan Bylsma hired Campbell to his Kraken coaching staff in July, just months after he was elevated from his role as head coach of the Seattle's AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Bylsma, who coached the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title in 2009, had Campbell on his staff for two seasons with Coachella Valley.
Where did Jessica Campbell go to college?
Campbell, who played boys' hockey until she was 17 years old, was a star at Cornell University. In four seasons with the Big Red (2010-14), she tallied 46 goals and 54 assists (100 points) across 131 games. She was team captain as a senior.
Cornell went 112-20-7 during Campbell's tenure, winning three Ivy League titles, making four NCAA Tournaments and reaching two Frozen Fours.
Did Jessica Campbell play professional hockey?
Following her college career, Campbell played three seasons in the Canadian Women's Hockey League with the Calgary Inferno. She hung up the skates in 2017 before returning to the ice for a brief stint in Sweden in the 2019-20 season.
Campbell also represented Canada at the international level. She won silver with Canada's U18 squad at the 2009 world junior championships before leading the team to gold the following year. Campbell, who served as Canada's captain in 2010, earned 2010 tournament MVP honors after tallying seven goals and eight assists across just five games.
Campbell then won silver with Canada at the 2015 world championship.
What is Jessica Campbell's coaching background?
Campbell's coaching career began in the women's Canadian Sport School Hockey League U18, where she was an assistant from 2017-2020. From 2020-22, she got coaching experience in the Swedish Hockey League and Deutsche Eishockey Liga -- the top professional leagues in Sweden and Germany, respectively. She also served as an assistant for Germany at the 2022 world championship.
Campbell then returned stateside in 2022 when the Coachella Valley Firebirds made her the first female coach in AHL history. In her two seasons as an assistant with Coachella Valley, the Firebirds made back-to-back runs to the Calder Cup Finals.
“Two years ago, she was a young coach. She had to grow and improve as a coach and I think our relationship has been that,” Bylsma told NHL.com. “I probably challenged her a few times to do things differently or think about things differently. But at the same time, she’s also, knowingly or not, challenged me as a coach to make sure I’m the coach I want to be.
“So, getting the opportunity in the NHL is because I believe in the skill and the attributes she brings to the individual players and that she can give them to them and help them become better in their own spot, in their own personal way and the team way.”
