It’s not particularly controversial to state that the NHL has traditionally been a predominantly white male-dominated league.
However, the Seattle Kraken have recently taken a significant step forward by hiring Jessica Campbell as the first female coach behind the bench in the league’s history.
The NHL launched its “Hockey Is For Everyone” initiative seven years ago, aiming to present itself as a league that welcomes people of all races, genders, and sexual orientations. Despite this initiative, the league’s progress has been somewhat underwhelming, partly due to incidents like the controversial Pride Tape Debacle last season. While strides have been made over the years to address the overwhelmingly Caucasian player demographic, the NHL still struggles to be seen as a beacon of diversity.
It’s also important to note that the NHL is not the only major sports league where women are underrepresented in support roles. Although some teams have hired women for prominent front-office positions, no NHL franchise had appointed a woman to a visible coaching role until now. This contrasts with the NBA and MLB, which have made more notable inclusions of women in coaching positions.
According to ESPN, the Seattle Kraken have made history by hiring Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach. Campbell, a native of Saskatchewan, played college hockey at Cornell and later transitioned to coaching in Europe after a stint in the CWHL.
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In 2022, Campbell was hired as an assistant coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s AHL affiliate.
On Wednesday, she was promoted to the NHL, making her the first woman to coach behind the bench in an NHL game. During her time with the Firebirds, Campbell ran the power play and focused on developing offensive talent, roles she is expected to continue with the Kraken.
It’s worth noting that Campbell is not the first woman to hold a full-time coaching role in the NHL. That distinction goes to Emily Engel-Natzke, who was hired as the video coordinator for the Washington Capitals in 2022.
The hiring of Jessica Campbell marks a significant milestone for the NHL and the Seattle Kraken, symbolizing progress toward greater diversity and inclusion within the sport. As Campbell steps into her new role, she represents a breakthrough moment for women in hockey and a potential catalyst for further change in the league.
