Breaking the Ice—How Jessica Campbell is making history in the NHL

Jessica Campbell is the first female coach in the NHL and is redefining leadership in hockey. Her journey is one of courage and resilience, pushing her to where she is today. 

Courtesy of seattlesports.org

The roar of the crowd fills Climate Pledge Arena as the Seattle Kraken make their way onto the ice. The players’ skates glide across the frozen surface during warmups and the fans’ energy pulses through the arena. But something is different about this home game. On the Kraken bench, a new figure stands out, her blonde hair sleekly pulled into a ponytail.She stands with confidence, exuding a calm demeanor that contrasts the intense energy surrounding her. She surveys the ice, focusing on the players, not the crowd’s thunderous cheers. The fans, instead of cheering for the players, are cheering for her—the first person to stand behind the bench wearing high heels. 

Jessica Campbell, raised in the vast flatlands of Saskatchewan, grew up surrounded by hockey.Campbell and her three siblings Josh, Dion, and Gina lived and breathed the game. As kids, they were ‘rink rats,’ always roaming the local community arenas practicing, watching games and being in the atmosphere of the sport they loved. Until the age of 15, Campbell was the only girl on her local team—a lone golden ponytail swaying on the ice. Growing up, female role models weren’t unfamiliar to her, as her mother Monique Campbell coached her hockey team. Campbell spent much of her childhood on the road, driving from rink to rink, discussing hockey with her mother. 

Today, Jessica Campbell is breaking the ice in men’s professional hockey. She is the first female coach in the National Hockey League, shattering barriers and paving the way for women in sports. The former Canadian ice hockey player is the assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken. Her coaching role is creating visibility for women in the male-dominated world of the NHL. Campbell’s milestone comes at a pivotal time in women’s sports.

Viewership and attendance of women’s athletics is at an all-time high, continuing to soar. The rise of women’s sports has led to exciting new opportunities, including the launch of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), in 2024. Campbell’s new role as coach is more than just a personal achievement, it shows women and girls that they are capable of competing alongside their male counterparts. 

Head coach of Cornell women’s hockey Doug Derraugh still remembers the first time he saw Campbell. While scouting for Cornell, Derraugh went around to various arenas watching her play and analyzing her dynamic skills. He noticed her explosiveness on the ice, her speed like no other player he had seen before. But Campbell didn’t just bring her physical skills. During Campbell’s first visit to Cornell, Derraugh and associate assistant coach Edith Racine got to know her personally over dinner in Ithaca, N.Y. Sitting at the restaurant table was when Campbell’s character began to shine through. She was elated, speaking passionately about hockey in deep conversation with Louise Derraugh, a former University of Arizona track athlete and Derraugh’s wife. The four of them sat at that table for three hours, speaking of the many connections between running and skating.

“She knew everything about skating, the edge work, the pivot, all the little details that goes into it,” said Racine. It then became clear to them that Campbell’s understanding of the game extended far beyond just playing it.

Courtesy of Ned Dykes/Cornell Athletics via cornellbigred.com

This visit was just the beginning of Campbell’s journey with Cornell. She went on to play her collegiate hockey career there for the Cornell Big Red. Racine fondly remembers Campbell’s joy for the game during her time at Cornell. She was someone who was happy to be at the rink every day and play the sport she loved. Racine also noted Campbell’s remarkable ability to communicate with her teammates, a skill that would later become an integral element of her coaching style. 

“She’s good with people and understanding them and helping them, not just grow as players but as people,” said Racine.

Derraugh’s relationship with Campbell deepened when he not only coached her at Cornell but also when she played for Team Canada. While coaching her, he got to know the ins and outs of her play and her perspective of the game. In 2002, Campbell lost her older brother Josh in a tragic car accident. After losing her childhood hero, she decided to wear his number, eight, for the rest of her playing career. One thing that stood out to Derraugh was Campbell’s spirit on the ice and how she used her loss to drive herself. She had a number to play for and a legacy to carry, working hard each day on the ice to honour Josh.

“She was always somebody who I think was very courageous and I don’t think she gets enough credit for that. I think that courageousness and confidence is what has propelled her to where she is now,” said Derraugh.

Beginning in this new coaching role, Campbell has maintained the same confidence and composure that has defined her throughout her hockey career. In Dec. 2024 she was a part of the Sports Girls Club Women in Hockey Summit. Women gathered together at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. to celebrate their mutual love for the sport.

“She’s a leader. Just from meeting her for a half hour, I got to understand just how well she presents herself,” said Delaney Galbraith, CEO and Founder of Sports Girls Club. 

Campbell entered the summit with confidence and kindness, ready to engage with the crowd of women awaiting her. She took the time to meet each attendee, offering handshakes and sharing heartfelt conversations. Galbraith saw Campbell’s genuine interest in the people she met, her unmistakable authenticity on display. 

Julia Tocheri, co-host of the women’s hockey podcast Jocks in Jills, interviewed  Campbell at the Seattle PWHL Takeover Tour game in Jan. 2025. It was an evening that Tocheri described as full circle, gathering women together who are pushing boundaries from both sides of the rink, the women’s and men’s game. As a part of the festivities, Campbell had the honour of doing the ceremonial puck drop. Sitting across from Campbell, Tocheri was struck by her genuine demeanor. Tocheri was given a glimpse into the mind of a changemaker.

Despite her groundbreaking role as the first female coach in the NHL, Campbell never set out to be a trailblazer. Tocheri admired Campbell’s humbleness and her love for the game.

“She didn’t set out aiming to inspire the next generation, or to be the first female coach in the NHL, but that’s a responsibility that she has now as a result of the position she’s in and she really embraces it,” said Tocheri. Campbell was never working for the title or recognition; it was always about the game and bringing her brother’s dream to fruition.

Warmups are almost over, and the events on the ice are beginning to slow in Climate Pledge. Campbell, still enthralled by the hockey in front of her, hears some taps on the glass behind her. Turning around, she sees the face of an overjoyed girl—Zahra Hassan, a six-year-old who has dreams like her. Hassan smiles and waves, the pompoms on her hat bouncing, struggling to contain her excitement. She’s in full Kraken gear, decked out in a custom Kraken-themed jean jacket and ‘Coach Soupy’ jersey. Campbell notices Zahra’s excitement and without hesitation signals the exchange of a friendship bracelet, a moment Zahra’s Mother Katelyn Hassan describes as magical. They find a small opening in the glass that separates them, and Zahra receives the bracelet—a simple yet powerful exchange and gesture of girlhood in sports. 

Courtesy of @katelyn.hassan via Instagram.com 

“She’s beautiful, right Mama, she’s so beautiful,” says Zahra, her voice filled with admiration.

“She is beautiful, and she’s also really strong and a really great coach,” replies Katelyn, overjoyed to know that their daughter will never see a world without female role models lighting the path in the NHL.

Edited by Breanna Ebisch