When Jessica Campbell stepped behind the Seattle Kraken’s bench, she made history feel like just the beginning.
As the first woman to hold a full-time coaching position in the NHL, Campbell shattered a long-standing barrier in one of the most tradition-bound professional sports. But for her, the goal was never to be a headline. She’s not chasing the spotlight—she’s chasing excellence. And she knows that breaking through only matters if it clears a path for others.
Like so many women in hockey, Campbell was often the only girl on the ice and in the locker room. A fierce competitor from a young age, she played at the highest levels of the women’s game, representing Team Canada on the international stage and lifting the 2016 Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno. But her evolution from elite athlete to elite coach didn’t happen overnight.
After retiring from playing, Campbell leaned on her firsthand experience, relentless work ethic and deep hockey IQ to forge a new path in player development, carving out a reputation for her exceptional command of skating, skills and strategy.
She launched JC Powerskating and soon took her talent overseas to Germany, where she became the first woman to serve as an assistant coach at the men’s world championships. In 2022, she joined the Coachella Valley Firebirds, breaking barriers as the first woman in the AHL to be behind the bench on a full-time basis. In California’s low desert, she ran special teams, including the power play. “It’s like chess,” she says. “There are a lot of complexities. You’re always problem-solving, adjusting, looking for an edge. I love that challenge.”
Her tactical mindset and hands-on approach to connect it to tangible results quickly earned her the respect of emerging NHL stars. “It’s a lot of fun to be part of a player’s journey,” she says. “When you can be part of their growth and their confidence, it creates real change.”
Beyond Xs and Os, Campbell is known for her emotional intelligence and her ability to build trust. “I’m very passionate, very competitive, but I’m also empathetic when it comes to approaching the human first,” she says. “I take a lot of pride in understanding who they are and how they operate. Once you unpack the person and build that trust, the communication flows.”
That human-centred approach makes her not only an exceptional coach but a powerful role model in a sport that’s still learning to value different leadership styles.
Jessica Campbell fully grasps what her presence means because she grew up without it. “I never had that. I never had someone to look up to behind the bench. Until I started coaching myself, I never knew it was possible,” she explains.
At the same time, she’s candid about the structural gaps she faced, like getting dressed in janitor’s closets and lacking proper facilities for women. “When I joined the Kraken organization and saw the setup, I thought, wow, this is remarkable! They saw the potential of what their organization could become, even though they didn’t have a female coach yet. That meant a lot.”
While others focus on her being a first, Campbell keeps her eye on the prize: “I want to win the Stanley Cup. I want to build and shape our team and our players. But I also know that what I do and how I show up opens doors for others. That motivates me to keep going.”
It’s a drive that comes from a place much deeper than ambition. For her, success is about more than being the first, it’s about making sure she’s not the last. Every practice, every game is an opportunity to lead with intention.
Jessica Campbell’s drive is unmistakably rooted in purpose. “This is a huge honour,” she says. “I worked very hard to get here. I know that with this job, with this responsibility, history knows my impact—and I want to make it count every single day.”
Fireside chat with Chantal Machabée
On August 6, Jessica Campbell headlines the inaugural Montreal edition of the UNMATCHED Gender Equity in Sports presented by National Bank.
She’ll join fellow hockey trailblazer Chantal Machabée, Vice President of Hockey Communications for the Montreal Canadiens, in a powerful conversation. A groundbreaking figure in sports media, Machabée spent over three decades at RDS, becoming the first woman in Québec to anchor a daily sports newscast and host Canadiens broadcasts, shattering the ceiling of a press box dominated by men.
This rare conversation brings together two pioneers who are reshaping hockey from the inside. Together, they’ll explore what it means to lead, be visible and forge new paths for others.
