Seattle Kraken’s Jessica Campbell Becomes the First Woman to Coach in the NHL: ‘An Important Day’

Jessica Campbell is making history again! Campbell, 32, will become the first woman to lead an NHL bench after being named one of the new assistant coaches for the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

The franchise announced it will promote Campbell to assistant coach, making her the first female coach in the league’s 105-year history.

The team also announced that it has hired Bob Woods as an assistant coach, with both Campbell and Woods joining head coach Dan Bylsma behind the bench.

Campbell said she is “humbled to be in this position,” in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

“They remind me often [to be making history as the first female coach] and it just gives a lot of meaning to the job,” she said. “I know that if the team is successful and my influence is good, it could potentially open doors for others and open others’ eyes to think differently. I try every day to be focused on what’s important, to be in the present, to be in the moment, to stay in the trenches with the players. And even though it’s an honor to be the first, I don’t want to be the only one.”

Jessica Campbell.

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“This is an important day for our organization,” Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “We bring valuable coaching experience to our staff and are confident that both Bob and Jessica will make an immediate impact on our team.”

Campbell previously made history in July 2022 by becoming the first woman to serve as an assistant coach in the AHL, the NHL’s minor league affiliate. The Saskatchewan native has been an assistant coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds for the past two seasons, where she also worked alongside Bylsma while he was the head coach of the minor league team in Seattle. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Jessica Campbell.

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“During our tenure in the Coachella Valley, I saw firsthand Jessica’s dedication to player development,” Bylsma, 53, said in a statement he also shared with PEOPLE. “Her ability to build relationships with her players, particularly Tye Kartye, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans, was an important factor in this signing. I look forward to continuing to work with her at the NHL level.”

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Prior to joining Coachella in the AHL, Campbell served as an assistant coach and skills coach for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL, the top men’s professional league in Germany during the 2021-22 season. Campbell was also an assistant coach for Team Germany at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, a team that also included current Kraken goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer.

Campbell is a former player herself. A former captain at Cornell University, Campbell played three seasons professionally with the Calgary Inferno in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League before joining the Malmo Redhawks for one season in the Swedish Division 1 league.

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She was also named MVP of the 2010 IIHF World Championship as she led the scoring competition and helped lead Team Canada to the gold medal. “She has an interesting background not only in skating, but also in skill development,” Francis said at a press conference on Wednesday, according to ESPN. “That’s a big part of what they’ve been able to do with Coachella Valley. She runs the power play, works with the forwards and works with everybody to improve their skating, develop their skills and, as Dan said, both her and Stu Bickel were a big part of their success down there.”

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Source: HIS Education