Seattle Kraken Assistant coach Jessica Campbell has found herself the center of attention so far this season.

Campbell made history on October 8 when she became the first woman to coach full-time behind a bench in the National Hockey League when the Kraken faced the St. Louis Blues at the Climate Pledge Arena.

Under the direction of head coach Dan Bylsma, the 32-year-old works with the Kraken’s forwards and power play. But it’s clear that Campbell’s influence extends beyond the ice. From holding his own media availability to asking a little girl in Dallas to throw her friendship bracelets at the glass, Campbell has had a whirlwind journey so far in this young season.

The Kraken will face the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night as part of their five-game road trip.

“As I go through these times, I don’t take this lightly – the path that I’m on and I hope others will come and be a part of me,” Campbell told the media Wednesday morning in Toronto. “But I think there’s so much more to this schedule, to this job, that I can’t take any moment for granted. I never do it.

Originally from Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Campbell’s hockey journey has taken her all over the world.

In 2010, she moved to Ithaca, New York, where she spent four seasons playing with Cornell University. After that, she returned closer to home, joining the Canadian Women’s Hockey League with the Calgary Inferno, where she won a Clarkson Cup and had an opportunity with the Canadian national team, winning the silver at the 2015 Women’s World Championships.

After finishing her playing career, Campbell was a coach at the Okanagan Hockey Academy before having the opportunity to spend time in Europe as a skating coach with the Malmo Redhawks of Sweden junior and senior teams. She would also spend time with the Nuremberg Tigers of the DEL in Germany and the German men’s national team.

It was her work as a skills and skating coach in Kelowna, British Columbia that began when she worked with NHL players. Brent Seabrook, Luc Schenn And Damon Severson during the pandemic, that propelled her onto Bylsma’s radar. Bylsma sent Campbell an email seeking to contact her about a coaching opportunity.

That connection led her to join Bylsma behind the bench as an assistant coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, in 2022. She spent two seasons with Bylsma in the AHL before the two were hired in Seattle during the offseason.

Although Campbell has had the opportunity to develop her coaching style in a variety of environments, including both men’s and women’s games, she also knows what it’s like to be on the other side as a player and This experience helped shape the type of coach I wanted to be.

“I’ve been shaped by a lot of great coaches, but also some coaches that I may not have liked along the way,” Campbell said. “You learn something from everyone, and then you take a piece from every person you meet.

“From playing until now as a coach, I think I really appreciated the coaches who were honest but also extremely positive. I think the power of positivity is real. Even the best players sometimes don’t even know how good they are.

“I tried to take some of those experiences and tools that some coaches have used in their message or their approach and their communication style, that’s (how) I really tried to model my approach. My college coach, Doug Derraugh, was a great mentor, a great person, a great support and he cared about us as people first and foremost, and for me that is paramount in what I do.

Now in its fourth year of existence, the Kraken missed the playoffs last season, finishing sixth in the Pacific Division. It was the opposite in Coachella Valley, where Campbell and the Firebirds made it to their second straight Calder Cup final before losing to the Hershey Bears for the second year in a row.

With the Firebirds, Campbell had the opportunity to work with some of the Kraken’s young forwards like Shane Wrightthe fourth overall pick in 2022, and Tye Kartye.

Campbell realizes that for many players, having a full-time wife behind the bench is new to them.

“I think they are now very familiar with the way I operate, and I believe I am a very approachable person and care about their success and well-being,” Campbell said. “I just want to get in the trenches and help them – whether it’s before, during or after practice, in any way I can. But they were great.

Inasmuch as Montreal Canadiens A fan growing up, Campbell played one game at the Bell Center as a player during her time in the CWHL. Tuesday night, she got to enjoy the action behind the bench and her team did not disappoint.

The Kraken scored eight goals in an 8-2 win over the Canadiens, with the power play scoring three goals. Although Campbell was happy with her victory, it was an emotional experience for her.

“It was just a full circle moment where I really felt all the emotions and what this trip was like,” Campbell said of his time in Montreal. “I’m just trying to take it all in and savor every moment.”