The Seattle Kraken are sleeping once again until the team takes on the St.Louis Blues in their season opener at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. PST.

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The rookies will be joined by experienced players and new members of the coaching staff, including Jessica Campbell, the first woman to receive a full-time assistant coaching position in the NHL. This historic moment is a significant step towards ensuring equal opportunities for women in sport and represents just a fraction of the contributions they make to the world of hockey. Make no mistake: Campbell’s hiring was strategic and her track record of success and determination was a deciding factor in her selection by head coach Dan Bylsma.

Related: Kraken hires Jessica Campbell as assistant coach, making her the first woman in NHL history to sit behind the bench

Prior to joining the Kraken, Campbell worked alongside Bylsma in the American Hockey League with the Kraken’s minor league affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, from 2022 to 2024. During her time there, she led the team following the Calder Cup Finals. In subsequent seasons, she became the first woman to be employed full-time as a behind-the-bench coach in the AHL.

Related: Bylsma and Campbell make coaching debuts at Kraken Development Camp

Campbell first caught Bylsma’s attention while coaching the Nuremberg Ice Tigers in Germany at the 2021-22 Men’s National Championships. At the time, Bylsma was the Firebirds’ head coach and was looking for a new assistant coach. He humorously recounted how he first contacted Campbell via LinkedIn during a post-training media scrum:

Campbell’s impressive list of accolades began as a three-year member of Team Saskatchewan, where she served as team captain, and continued at Cornell in the NCAA. She later developed a successful program with her company JC Power Skating.

Related: Kraken’s first female coach brings diversity to sport and experience

Campbell is also a member of the NHL’s Female Coaches’ Association Program, which launched in 2019 and includes more than 100 women. The Pacific Northwest has a large hockey community that includes women, non-binary people, and girls-only hockey clubs. Membership in girls-only learn-to-skate programs and enrollment in women’s hockey leagues have increased steadily in Seattle over the past two years. The Kraken’s practice facility now hosts women’s tournaments, and on weekends the ice surfaces are packed with visitors for the University of Washington women’s games.

Representation in the sport of hockey is important, but at the end of the game, Kraken fans still need to see results. Campbell attended the Kraken’s final three development and training camps before being hired and maintained relationships with several prospects who made the team’s preseason roster.

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Over the weekend, Campbell ran aggressive offensive and defensive drills during final training camp drills, encouraging players to put more pressure on the net in hopes of improving the Kraken’s passing and power play goals.

Campbell has already laid the foundation for a successful season and it’s up to the players to prove themselves on Tuesday night. History aside, she has proven to be a strong force behind the bench and fans are excited to see how she rises to the challenge.

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