Jessica Campbell is a natural replacement for new Kraken coach Dan Bylsma at Coachella Valley, given that Bylsma hand-picked her to be his assistant on the flourishing Firebirds.
If you ever find yourself in the Palm Desert area in California, do yourself a favor and take in a Coachella Valley Firebirds game. That is, if you can manage to get a ticket.
The Firebirds have been one of the greatest success stories in hockey, playing as the Seattle Kraken's AHL farm team. They've been wildly successful on and off the ice and are currently in the AHL's Western Conference final for the second straight season.
Much of that has had to do with coaching, which is why the Kraken tabbed former NHL bench boss Dan Bylsma to replace Dave Hakstol in Seattle.
That leaves an opening behind the Coachella Valley bench, which should and could be filled by Jessica Campbell, making her the first woman to be a full-time head coach in men's pro hockey history. (Nicole Kirnan made history when she was the head coach for the Federal League's 1000 Islands Privateers for the final five games of the season.)
That's unless Bylsma makes Campbell the first woman to be a full-time assistant coach in the NHL. She's being considered for that as well.
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