Campbell and Kraken make history

 Seattle likes being a city of firsts, and the cities National Hockey League affiliate reflects that. Yesterday to no great surprise, the Kraken announced yesterday the addition of Jessica Campbell to the team's coaching staff. 

Campbell, an assistant coach with the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds last season, becomes the first female fulltime assistant with an NHL franchise.

Joining Campbell behind the bench will be Bob Woods, a veteran of 11 years as an assistant with the Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals, who also owns a Calder Cup championship as head coach of the Hershey Bears.

Campbell and Woods replace Paul McFarland, who was let go, and Jay Leach, who returned to the Boston Bruins' organization as an assistant coach. They join holdovers Dave Lowry and Steve Briere as members of the Kraken brain trust.

There's been speculation that Campbell would join the Kraken after serving as new head coach Dan Bylsma's deputy at the AHL-affiliated Coachella Valley Firebirds the past two seasons. Bylsma and Campbell enjoyed plenty of success in the palm desert of California; they advanced to the AHL finals twice.

 I’ve counted on good people to teach me, to guide me and so, yes, I’ve definitely relied on others,” said Campbell. “But I’ve had to rely upon myself the most because I had to believe in what I was trying to do.”

Prior to her two seasons with CV, Campbell was an assistant coach for Germany at the 2022 IIHF Men's World Championship, while becoming the first woman on the coaching staff of a men's national team.

Campbell had a successful playing career starting in midget hockey in her native Saskatchewan. She would go on to captain Canada's U-18 team that won the world title in 2010.

She competed on Team Canada's silver-medal winning Olympic team in 2015 and played at Cornell University and for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women's Hockey League.

Bylsma stressed that while Campbell's higher is `groundbreaking' it's certainly not undeserved.

“Jessica and I spent the last two years coaching in Coachella Valley,” said Bylsma. “I’m confident of what she can do for our staff and bring to the players. I watched her build strong relationships with prospects such as Tye Kartye, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans. She has the ability to relate to players about their games and what they bring to a team."

Bylsma knew Woods from his days as Buffalo Sabres head coach and says, "I got a good familiarity with how Bob worked with our defensemen and him being able to relate to different types of players."

When Bylsma was introduced as new Kraken head coach last month, he alluded that Campbell `was in the conversation' for a Seattle coaching position.

On a personal note, this reporter was based in Rhode Island when Brown University and Providence College became two of the first NCAA schools to post competitive women's hockey teams. Rhody was also one of the first states to initiate a girls' high school hockey league.

Someday Seattle may field a women's major league hockey team as well.