Jessica Campbell’s story represents a combination of aspiration, courage, dedication, skills, and opportunity. She is the first woman to serve as an assistant coach of an NHL team.
Campbell, a Cornell University graduate, has always loved hockey and held various roles in the sport over the years. However, where she is today wouldn’t have happened unless she changed her path to seek an audacious goal–to occupy a position in the sport that no other woman had held.
Just a few days ago, the 32-year-old Campbell stood behind the Seattle Kraken bench as the league’s first-ever female assistant coach in NHL history.
She didn’t get there by accident. With an extensive background in the game, she played hockey in her home country, Canada, and then on Cornell’s women’s hockey team. After graduating, Campbell played professionally back in her home country, was a pro assistant coach, and served as an Olympic assistant coach. Before that, she taught the sport at the youth level and owned her own power skating business.
Campbell is ready for the challenge, and now all of us can see her perform on hockey’s big stage.
Read more about her story here. An ESPN spotlight story follows.