Jessica Campbell has scripted history in the field of  ice hockey by becoming the first female to coach a game in National Hockey League history. 

The Seattle Kraken assistant coach made her debut as a coach in the NHL regular season opener against the St. Louis Blues on 8 October 8. Although the Kraken lost the game 3-2, it will remain a landmark in the history of the sport.

“For me, it’s just a normal day in terms of my work, in terms of my routine, in terms of all of those pieces. I never want to diminish the things that I’m doing because I’m so focused on the task at hand, but I also know that being focused on the task at hand has allowed me to get to this moment and is going to continue” Campbell said.

“But I think the moment leading up to the game and stepping on the bench…I’m really going to try to honor what it is, because I know, and I definitely understand that the magnitude and the importance of this moment is really important for our game.”

Campbell began her coaching career in 2017, beginning in the youth leagues of her home country Canada before moving to Sweden and the Malmo Redhawks for a season.

After a season in Germany with the men’s national team and the Nurnberg Ice Tigers, Campbell made a stint in the USA and the American Hockey League.

In 2022, she joined the Kraken’s top minor league affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, where she served as an assistant coach for the following two seasons.

Campbell’s big assignment came in July, when she was contracted to the Kraken’s coaching team ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season.

The Canadian native had a successful international playing career at international level, winning the 4 Nations Cup on home ice in 2014 and was part of Canada’s silver medal-winning team at the women’s 2015 World Championship.

Seattle are competing in their fourth NHL season since their foundation in 2018. They reached the play-offs in 2022-23 and finished sixth last season.