The first woman to be a full-time coach in the American Hockey League is going to be Jessica Campbell. There has never been a woman in that role.
The top minor league affiliate of the NHL's Seattle Kraken will begin play in the fall.
I had a belief as a young girl that I was capable as well. Campbell said that he's never focused on his gender. I didn't know what a coaching path looked like when I was a kid. It's important for young athletes to know that they can be anything they want. Girls can now watch their fathers have a female coach. Young girls can be inspired for something they might not have thought of.
Women in hockey operation roles are going to have a big off season. Three people have been named assistant general managers in the last few weeks. Emily became the first full-time female coaching staff member in the NHL when she was promoted to video coordinator of the Washington Caps.
Campbell became the first woman on the coaching staff of a men's world championship when she was an assistant coach for Germany at the 2022.
Dan Bylsma reached out to colleagues for potential candidates when he knew he needed a staff. Campbell's name came up a lot.
He had a hard time getting in touch with Campbell, even though she received rave reviews for her work at the world championship.
He blindly sent an email through her personal website with the subject line "Coaching Inquiry" and wrote "I would like to have a conversation about the possibility of a coaching position."
BylSMA was impressed when he connected on the phone.
It's important that Jessica gets this opportunity. I wanted a staff that had a lot of passion for the players, a willingness to put in the work with them, and a plan to help them develop, because our job is developing players. Jessica was the one who exemplified that. She's all about that.
Campbell is from a small town in Canada. She was a captain at Cornell University and a member of the Canadian national team before retiring as a player.
She was starting her own business at that time. She had access to a rink in Canada. Campbell was asked if she would help the NHL players get back into shape for the 2020 bubble, and she said yes.
Campbell was developing drills for about 20 NHL players, including New York Islanders forward Matt Barzal.
Campbell described it as a challenge. It was difficult to see that the guys were getting something out of it.
Campbell was in Germany working with Red Wings and Senators players. Campbell is based in Chicago where she works for the Tri City Storm and the USHL development program.
Campbell has been involved in the mentorship program for two years. She says she listens to players and helps them reach their goals through clear and detailed communication.
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