As hockey has presented itself as a male-dominated sport, it has now become even more critical to provide more visibility and encourage women to step into the sport to combat the gender bias. When young, female hockey players are asked about their favorite National Hockey League player, most do not mention a player-they mention a coach who has made a remarkable impact in the league.
Many of the answers are indeed one of the best, Jessica Campbell, who is the first assistant female coach in the National Hockey League. Jessica currently serves as the Assistant Coach for the Seattle Kraken NHL team, which has inspired many young girls in the sport of hockey. Jessica Campbell first gained traction in her hockey career as she played for Cornell University’s women’s ice hockey team, where she gained the Capitan title during her senior year. After shining in the college hockey world, Campbell then played three years in the CWHL, where her team won the Clarkson Cup in 2026. In terms of the many medals that Campbell holds, she has won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 IIHF Women’s Hockey U18 World Championship. After winning multiple medals and trophies with her teams throughout the years, Jessica retired from played but still wanted to make an impact on the ice. Jessica then started her coaching career by establishing her own power skating business, and then going on to coach professional ice hockey teams in Sweden and Germany. Going back to the US, Campbell then began coaching the Coachella Valley Firebirds, which is the Seattle Kraken’s affiliate hockey team, where the team reached multiple titles and recognitions under her coaching.
After, she was then brought to be hired as the assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken team of the NHL due to her immense skill and the way she helps her teams flourish. Campbell not only became an assistant coach, but she also became an inspiration to young girls all over the world. She set a precedent that stopped the gender bias on the sport of hockey from growing and provided a platform for young girls to achieve their dreams in any field or sport. As stated before, visibility for young girls watching NHL games is immensely important as they can also become inspired to break down gender barriers and achieve their goals.
In honor of Women’s History Month in March, this story is significantly impactful to share as it shows the accomplishments of a woman who wanted to break down the gender barriers in hockey and inspire other women to flourish in any sport or profession.