Jessica Campbell leaves Kraken: NHL’s first full-time female coach turns the page
Jessica Campbell will not return to the Seattle Kraken next season as her contract expires. The respected coach is exploring other roles across the NHL.
Jessica Campbell’s time on the Seattle Kraken bench is coming to an end. The organization confirmed the NHL assistant coach will not be returning next season as her contract expires.
For Campbell, this is more than a routine staff change.. She became the league’s first full-time female coach in an NHL role when she joined the Kraken as an assistant under head coach Dan Bylsma. and her departure marks another turning point in a story that has echoed far beyond Seattle.. The team emphasized that relations remain “positive,” with Campbell signaling interest in other coaching opportunities across the league.
Campbell, 33, arrived in Seattle for the 2024-25 season and stayed through a turbulent period for the franchise.. When Bylsma was fired last summer by general manager Ron Francis. the Kraken retained Campbell—an outcome that says as much about internal trust as it does about her reputation.. Her continuity through that transition also suggests the organization viewed her value as tactical and developmental. not simply tied to one coaching staff.
Her résumé before Seattle helps explain why her name carried weight inside NHL circles.. An NCAA standout from Cornell, Campbell played college hockey at a high level that included a Frozen Four run in 2011.. After college, she played professionally in the CWHL for the Calgary Inferno, and later pivoted fully to coaching.. Before her NHL bench role. she worked with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL. where she had the chance to build a foundation alongside Bylsma—an experience that influenced Francis’s decision to hire her.
Just as important were the development angles Campbell brought to her coaching work.. Francis previously described hiring Campbell as a coaching decision first. not a symbolic one. pointing to her background in skill development and skating.. That focus matters in modern NHL organizations because teams want assistants who can translate systems into real improvement for players—particularly during the grind of the regular season and the need to refine details every day.
The Kraken’s on-ice results during Campbell’s tenure also provide context for why the timing of staff conversations can be complicated.. Seattle finished seventh in the Pacific Division in 2024-25 and sixth in 2025-26. but both seasons ended without a playoff berth.. When a team misses spring hockey. even coaches who are respected internally can find themselves reassessed by management—whether through new responsibilities. different philosophies. or reshuffled staff.
There is a human dimension to Campbell’s next move as well.. She is described internally as a leader who carries a winning standard into the room. and her credibility reaches back to her playing days at Cornell.. Teammates spoke about her intensity and pace. but they also highlighted something harder to measure: the ability to raise the level of those around her.. That kind of influence is often what organizations remember when deciding who to retain and who to pursue next.
Outside the NHL bench, Campbell also built experience that broadened her profile.. She has worked as an assistant for the German men’s national team. and during the COVID-19 pandemic she coached NHL players in British Columbia. adding another layer to her network and development style.. Those experiences can matter when leagues and teams look for assistants who understand both individual player improvement and the broader responsibilities that come with pro hockey.
What comes next is the part Kraken fans—and the wider league—will watch closely.. Campbell remains highly regarded in Seattle, and there is an openness implied in how the story is being handled.. With her exploring other coaching roles. she could be a candidate for organizations seeking stronger development programs. or for staffs looking to add a coach who bridges skating and skill instruction with day-to-day NHL readiness.
In the near term. the NHL will be watching how Campbell’s next opportunity is shaped—because this is not just about one contract ending.. It’s about how a trailblazing first full-time female NHL coach positions her career in a league that is still learning. season by season. how leadership is recognized and retained.. Campbell has already shown she can work through coaching changes and contribute to professional-level improvement; now the question is where her impact will land next.