Jessica Campbell of the Seattle Kraken made history as the first female NHL assistant coach

Jessica Campbell is in a league of her own.

The Seattle Kraken hired Campbell as an assistant coach in July, making her the first female full-time assistant coach behind the bench in NHL history. Campbell received a standing ovation when he was introduced at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday as he took his place in the Kraken's season-opener against the St. Louis Blues in Seattle.

The historic moment was not lost on Campbell.

“The moment leading up to the game and stepping on the bench … I'm really going to try to respect that, because I know, and I definitely understand, the magnitude and importance of this moment is really important to our game,” Campbell said before the game.

Campbell drew the game on the bench as Seattle tried to tie the game, but they eventually lost 3–2 to the Blues. Head coach Dan Bylsma pointed to the silver lining: “Jessica is being a female coach in the NHL for the first time, which is great for her and great for the game.”

Campbell described Tuesday as “a typical day in terms of my job,” but noted the significance of his new role.

“For me, it's a typical day in terms of my work, in terms of my routine, in terms of all those parts,” Campbell said. “I never want to cut down on the things I'm doing because I'm so focused on the task at hand, but I also know that focusing on the task at hand has gotten me to this point and will continue to do so. So, I have to focus on what's most important. , which is the guys and the team and the success we want to have.”

Campbell, 32, made similar history in the American Hockey League when Bylsma hired him as an assistant coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022. Bylsma, a former Stanley Cup winner, brought Campbell to the NHL after he was named the Kraken coach. May

Coachella Valley has had success with Bylsma and Campbell, reaching the AHL's Calder Cup finals the past two seasons. Prior to joining Coachella Valley, Campbell was an assistant coach and skills coach for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers in Germany's top professional men's league in Germany in 2021-22. He was Germany's assistant coach at the 2022 World Championship.

“Hopefully there will be a door open for someone else versus them having to find a way to push it open,” Campbell said. It's a fantastic job. And it's part of a movement. That's part, I think, of the really important changes. Anytime you have different people in the room, you get different and better results; You get unique results. You find solutions to problems in a different way and I think that's how you move forward in life and in sport.”

Campbell played at Cornell University from 2010-14, captaining the team his senior year. He played professionally in Canada and Sweden and was the MVP of the 2010 Under-18 World Championships as Canada won gold.

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This article originally appeared in USA Today: Kraken's Jessica Campbell debuts as first female NHL coach