Jessica Campbell won’t return as Kraken assistant, sources say

Jessica Campbell is not going to return to the Seattle Kraken bench subsequent season, sources advised ESPN on Wednesday.

Campbell’s contract is expiring this summer season, and the Kraken are supporting their assistant coach in exploring new alternatives as she receives curiosity throughout the league, sources mentioned.

Campbell made NHL historical past in 2024 when the Kraken promoted her to assistant coach, changing into the primary lady to carry a full-time, on-the-bench position in league historical past.

The Kraken has additionally left the door open to her returning to the group, as she had a optimistic expertise with the group, sources mentioned.

Campbell, 33, joined Seattle after two seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the place she ran the ability play and labored carefully with forwards as the group reached back-to-back Calder Cup Finals. Campbell was instrumental within the growth of Ty Kartye, who went from undrafted to AHL Rookie of the Year and is now an NHL common.

In the NHL, Campbell frequently had one-on-one periods with Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Kaapo Kakkowho had a profession 12 months after his commerce to the Kraken in December.

Campbell constructed his teaching resume via skating and expertise growth, operating his personal program and coaching NHL gamers within the offseason earlier than becoming a member of Seattle’s system. She has additionally labored for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany, and was an assistant coach for Germany on the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Championship — changing into the primary lady on the teaching workers of a males’s nationwide group on the occasion.

Campbell is a local of Rocanville, Saskatchewan. She is a former captain at Cornell University and performed within the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and for the Canadian nationwide group.

Seattle entered the NHL as an enlargement franchise in 2021 and continues to be establishing stability early in its existence. The group is already on its third head coach as Lane Lambert changed Dan Bylsma forward of final season. Seattle has made the Stanley Cup playoffs eleven, in 2023, which led group CEO Tod Leiweke to provide an impassioned press convention earlier this month. While the teaching workers final season was considered as a brilliant spot, Leiweke acknowledged the challenges the franchise has confronted in constructing a group.

“It’s not acceptable,” Leiweke mentioned, “and we’re committed to fixing it.”