Sask. woman makes NHL history behind the bench
![Jessica Campbell Jessica Campbell behind the bench for the Seattle Kraken. (Courtesy: X/Seattle Kraken)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2023/9/28/jessica-campbell-1-6582270-1695943502230.jpg)
Rocanville's Jessica Campbell has been hired by the Seattle Kraken, making her the first woman to be hired as a full-time coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
"Jessica and I spent the last two years coaching in Coachella Valley,” said Kraken Head Coach Dan Bylsma in a media release. “I’m confident of what she can do for our staff and bring to the players.”
Campbell already broke barriers when in 2022 she was hired as the assistant coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the minor league affiliate of the Kraken.
This move made her the first female behind the bench as a full-time coach in the American Hockey League (AHL).
“I’m so focused on my goals and coaching,” she told CTV News in September of 2023. “When you’re inside the bottle you don’t necessarily see what’s the perspective from the outside because I’m just so focused on making sure the work, the impact, and what I’m doing every day, my coaching approach is up to the par that I expect of myself.”
“She has the ability to relate to players about their games and what they bring to a team,” Bylsma said. “She’s demonstrated that over the last two seasons.”
“That’s why she is such an appealing candidate and why she’s joining our staff,” he added.
Campbell, 32, grew up playing for the Melville Prairie Fire in the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League before going to Cornell University (NCAA) from 2010 to 2014.
She also played for the Canadian Women’s National Team at the World Championships in 2015.
After her playing days ended, Campbell caught the attention of pro hockey coaching circles as an assistant coach for Germany at the 2022 IIHF Men's World Championship while becoming the first woman on the coaching staff of a men's national team at the esteemed tournament.
She spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant and skills coach for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany. Her work in Europe and as a skating and skills guru came up frequently when Bylsma was calling contacts to fill out his first Firebirds coaching staff.
The Kraken open their regular season on Oct. 8 against St. Louis when Campbell will break the historic ground.
--With files from Brit Dort…
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.3960391.1554513210!/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpeg)
Woman dies at Rolling Stones concert in Vancouver
A woman attending the Rolling Stones concert at BC Place died Friday night, police confirmed.
Terrorism charges laid against B.C. woman who married ISIS fighter
A B.C. woman who was repatriated from a Syrian prison camp in 2022 has been arrested and charged with terrorism offences, police announced Saturday.
This Italian vacation hotspot is turning tourists away as it runs out of water
Set atop a hill on the Italian island of Sicily, Agrigento is a heritage tourist’s paradise. But the aqueduct, and others built in modern times, are running so dry that small hotels and guesthouses in the city and nearby coast are being forced to turn tourists away.
Jon Landau, Oscar-winning 'Titanic' and 'Avatar' producer, dies at 63
Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on three of the biggest blockbusters of all time, 'Titanic' and two 'Avatar' films, has died. He was 63.
Radio host who interviewed Biden says aides provided questions in advance
U.S. President Joe Biden’s team provided a list of questions to a radio host who interviewed the president this week in the aftermath of his debate performance, the host told CNN.
ANALYSIS Why are Trudeau and Singh avoiding Stampede this year?
This year, only Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be saddling up for the event, while both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will stay away.
Here are some safety tips if you're travelling alone this summer
Though travelling by yourself can be scary and intimidating, there are some ways to make sure you’re safe and have a good time, says a solo travel and content creator from Ottawa.
Saskatoon man charged for leaving hate comments on woman’s obituary pleads guilty
The man who left hate comments on a murder victim’s online obituary has been sentenced.
Alleged accomplice of Quebec gang leader Dave 'Pic' Turmel arrested in B.C.
Another alleged accomplice of the leader of the Blood Family Mafia (BFM), Dave 'Pic' Turmel, has been arrested by the RCMP.