BREAKING: First Woman Set to Coach NHL Game Tonight
Jessica Campbell Breaks Barriers for Females in Professional Hockey
Jessica Campbell achieved yet another historic milestone in professional hockey, becoming the inaugural female assistant coach in the American Hockey League last year and now tonight she will become the first female to coach an NHL game.
The 30-year-old native of Rocanville, Saskatchewan, assumed her role on the Coachella Valley Firebirds coaching staff, joining head coach Dan Bylsma on the sidelines of the Seattle Kraken's AHL affiliate for their inaugural season.
#SeaKraken will welcome @Firebirds Assistant Coach, Jessica Campbell behind the bench tonight at @ClimateArena for the matchup against Calgary.
She is believed to be the first woman to coach an NHL game
She is believed to be the first woman to coach an NHL game
Campbell's landmark appointment followed closely on the heels of her groundbreaking stint as the first woman to serve on a coaching staff at the men's world championship in Finland, where she contributed as an assistant coach for Team Germany. Last month, the New York Rangers had announced her participation as a guest coach at their summer development camp. Still, the allure of a more significant position with the Kraken led her to make the move.
Campbell explained after her previous promotion: "It's always been my goal to try to put myself down a path where I could be full-time at the pro level."
While a woman has yet to take her place behind an NHL bench as a coach during a game, Campbell was actively pursuing that aspiration. Tonight she will break barriers as she does just that for the Seattle Kraken in their pre-season matchup against the Calgary Flames.
In a previous interview she had this to say on the subject:
"I'm working toward that goal for sure," Campbell affirmed. "I'm trying to get the proper experience and learn from the best. It's a job that is tough to do. You've got to be prepared and execute, and you've got to do a good job to be able to be in that position and leading guys at the highest level. The visibility of this for me is important, but at the same time, my job is paramount, coaching and making sure that I'm doing the best I can."
This could be the beginning of an amazing turn of events for females in professional hockey and it will be interesting to see how the future plays out
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September 25 | 23 answers BREAKING: First Woman Set to Coach NHL Game Tonight Will Jessica Campbell become the first female to coach a regular season NHL game? | ||
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