Became 1st woman assistant coach in League with Seattle before 2024-25 season

Jessica Campbell is leaving the Seattle Kraken to explore other coaching roles, the team announced Thursday.

Campbell became the first woman to become a full-time assistant coach in the NHL when she was hired by the Kraken on July 3, 2024. She was in charge of forwards and the Kraken’s power play.

“As Jessica’s current contract expires, she has expressed her desire to explore other coaching roles across the League and we support her in this process,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. “Jessica has been an important member of our coaching staff for the past four years, demonstrating deep knowledge and a unique ability to connect with and develop players. We respect her decision and believe strongly in her as a coach in this league.”

She originally joined the organization in July 2022 and was the assistant coach for the Kraken’s American Hockey League affiliate, Coachella Valley, with then-coach Dan Bylsma for two seasons, helping the team reach the Calder Cup Final in both years.

Bylsma was hired as Kraken coach on May 28, 2024 and Campbell joined him in the NHL two months later.

Bylsma was fired on April 21, 2025 after one season. When he was replaced by Lane Lambert on June 9, 2025, the Kraken announced Campbell would stay.

The Kraken (34-37-11) finished 11 points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

Campbell played four seasons of NCAA hockey for Cornell and then played professionally in Canada and Sweden. She eventually became a skating and skills coach, building up a client base that featured several NHL players.

Campbell talked in March about being the first woman to be an assistant coach in the NHL and the strides women are taking in the game.

“For me going first or for anyone, that’s not the focus,” she said. “That’s never been my focus. I’ve always been reminded throughout my journey there are others watching you go and there are others that have the same goals.

“It starts with one. It takes more than that, and you’ll start to see that shift and that wave. The women’s game is growing tremendously. Youth hockey numbers have skyrocketed with young girls registering to play, but I think that women are going to continue to look at themselves as now coaches in the game, and it’s only going to better our game on both sides, the women’s side and the men’s side.”