Jessica Campbell made history by becoming the first female full-time coach to debut in the NHL preseason. She joined the Seattle Kraken as an assistant coach in July. Before that, she also made history in the AHL as the first woman to coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
BarDown posted about her debut and celebrated the moment.
“Seattle Kraken assistant Jessica Campbell makes her preseason debut, becoming the first female full-time coach to do so.”
Fans reacted with mixed emotions about her debut.
“They have to be involved in everything men do,” one fan said.
“This is cool, I should go to the comment section to see how my fellow hockey fans are congratulating her….. oh….. well that’s disappointing/unsurprising.” another fan said.
“Mackinnon probably gonna drop 4 goals on them first game 😂😂😂” a fan said.
Many fans supported Campbell. Here are some more reactions on X:
“Agreed! Very good for the sport!” a fan wrote.
“She’s compétent enough to be there ! Let’s go !” another fan wrote.
“Hope they win the cup this year just to see men cry” a fan shared.
“Sweet i can’t wait to hear about it all fucking season.” a fan said.
Jessica Campbell’s response on receiving a full-time NHL coach position
In July, Jessica Campbell talked to NHL.com about her hiring and said she felt honored to receive the position.
“That’s never really where my focus is, it’s always on the work, it’s on the impact, it’s on the job,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot to this game and to this job, and so, I’ve never taken it for granted.”
While she appreciates being the first, she wants to see more female coaches in the future.
“Though I am honored to be the first, I don’t want to be the only, and I honestly don’t feel like I’m the only in this organization… But there’s a long list of incredible women that are doing phenomenal jobs, here in management, scouting, player development. I’m just excited to do my part now behind the bench.”
Jessica Campbell wants to inspire young players on what they can achieve. Her role in the NHL is a big step for diversity in hockey.
