Firebirds Name Assistant Coach

Five days into July and their official inaugural season as the American Hockey League's 32nd franchise, the Coachella Valley Firebirds made history Tuesday, agreeing to terms with Jessica Campbell. She is the team's first-ever assistant coach and the league's first-ever female in that role.
"I'm very excited, it feels like it's going to be a really good fit." said Campbell during a Monday phone interview. "I am thrilled to join the Kraken organization. Everybody's been so fantastic through the process."
The process started a bit less than two weeks ago when the Firebirds recently announced head coach Dan Bylsma called Campbell to gauge her interest in joining his staff.

"We talked about coaching, he was asking about my approach," said Campbell. "He clearly did his research, connecting with people at the world championships and guys I have coached. After a couple of interviews with Dan, I interviewed with Ron [Francis]."
"We're very excited to welcome Jessica to the Kraken organization as a coach with the Firebirds," said Francis. "She played the game at a high level. That experience along with her knowledge of the game, and her ability to communicate and teach, will assist the development of our prospects in the AHL."
"Jessica's strength is her skill and talent for developing players who understand all aspects of the game and what it takes to be successful on and off the ice." said Bylsma. "She has a passion for creating players with impact. We are focused on building a culture of impact, skill and tenacity for both the Firebirds and the Kraken."
As a player, the Rocanville, SK, native competed for NCAA Cornell, serving as captain her senior year. She played professionally for the CWHL Calgary Inferno from 2014 to 2017, skated for four years at Cornell, captaining the Big Red during her senior season, before playing professionally for the Calgary Inferno of the CWHL from 2014 through 2017. She represented Canada at two U-18 World Junior Championships, including in 2010 when she captained Team Canada, scored the gold-medal winning goal and was named tournament MVP.
Campbell has worked as a private skating and skills instructor with players of all levels, including a multitude of NHL players and prospects. Luke Schenn, who won two Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, is a big proponent who asked Campbell to run practices with him and other NHLers based in the Kelowna, BC, area preparing to return to play in the bubble during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other NHL players included Tyson Jost, Shea Weber, Joel Edmundson and Mat Barzal among others.
This past year, Campbell made the transition to coaching, first with the Windy City Storm Girl's Hockey Program in Chicago, then with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), where she served as an assistant coach and skills coach.
Campbell's Kelowna training with Schenn and other NHL players in 2020 grew from a handful of players to 16. It was the first of two instances in which she realized she was not only teaching skating and skills, but also running practices with NHL players listening and responding.
The second instance unfolded this past spring when Campbell joined the men's Team Germany staff as an assistant coach behind the bench at the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships as the first-ever female coach to do so.
"There was a moment when I realized that I was coaching NHL players on our team [including Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer] and competing against NHL players," said Campbell."My words were welcomed and I was respected. I realized I can do this."
The Kelowna workouts combined with coaching Team Germany and in the country's pro league persuaded Campbell, "OK, I want to coach at this [NHL and AHL] level."
"It first hit me stepping behind the bench in Nurnberg," said Campbell. "My knowledge as a student of the game blended with my playing and coaching experience got me to understand, I feel confident, I feel prepared. I knew I'd done the work the past two years with the guys. There were no nerves [behind the benches in Germany] or fear. I felt capable and ready to step into it."
Campbell will join Seattle's development camp at Kraken Community Iceplex July 11 to 14 to take the next step as a coach. She will work with young Kraken prospects drafted or signed as free agents over the last two seasons. She can't wait.
"I pride myself on coaching the details that make all the difference between winning and losing at the higher levels of the sport," said Campbell. "I'm a big believer in adding value to each player's game through skating or skills. But the work has to connect and make sense with the individual player."
Campbell made an intriguing point during the Monday conversation: The women's game at which she excelled as both amateur and pro has long featured puck possession over physical contact (though there is plenty of the latter). Today's NHL trends to speed of skating along with playmaking. Her "lived player" knowledge directly applies.
"I'm very excited about the AHL team and the development process," said Campbell. "I plan to get on the ice early and stay late after practices to help build skating and skills and, most importantly, help our players feel more confident."