Kraken hire Jessica Campbell as Assistant Coach, first woman to be a full time coach in the NHL

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

This also makes her one of the youngest coaches in NHL history, having just turned 32.

Not really. Maurice became an NHL assistant coach at 28 and was named head coach that same season. It's more that generally people don't pay attention to the ages or resume of assistant coaches in the NHL.

 

[LokiDog]

Not really. Maurice became an NHL assistant coach at 28 and was named head coach that same season. It's more that generally people don't pay attention to the ages or resume of assistant coaches in the NHL.

I said “one of”. 14 coaches in NHL history were younger than 32; 8 of them were before 1930 and 12 were before 1980. The only two after 1980 were Maurice and Pierre Maguire.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I said “one of”. 14 coaches in NHL history were younger than 32; 8 of them were before 1930 and 12 were before 1980. The only two after 1980 were Maurice and Pierre Maguire.

She's an assistant coach though. Aren't you just talking about head coaches?

 

[LokiDog]

She's an assistant coach though. Aren't you just talking about head coaches?

I mean, I’m assuming the list I looked at only included head coaches, but it’s somewhat besides the point. She would still rank amongst “some of” the youngest coaches in NHL history, particularly in the modern era, but when you factor her gender as well, my only point was that it’s quite impressive. Not only the first female NHL coach, but amongst the youngest. Let’s let her have her kudos. I know she isn’t THE youngest or particularly unique based on age alone, but when you consider she’s doing something no woman has done, at an age where barely any men have done so in the past, it’s quite an accolade.

 

[daver]

On a hockey forum where even 4th liners get retirement threads you think this is the inherent issue? Drawing attention to a hire that, for one dumb reason or another, has never happened before?

Yeah, okay. You're part of the problem.

What problem is that? I don't care about someone's identity while you went out of your way to make it some kind of issue. If I was her, I wouldn't want any extra attention. I would just want to do my job.

Do you honestly believe that a lack of women at the highest level of coaching men's hockey has nothing to do with having zero experience in playing with men?

Do you honestly believe that a lack of women at the highest level of any profession, let alone one where it is exclusively men, is only due to discrimination?

 

[PaulD]

We all should gladly take a 50 percent increase in female hires for coaching, operations, and scouting as long as we get a guarantee that Leah Hextall never grips a microphone again. Fair tradeoff and one likely championed by all genders.

Throw Cassy Campbell in on that.

 

[Viqsi]

Do you honestly believe that a lack of women at the highest level of coaching men's hockey has nothing to do with having zero experience in playing with men?

Yes.

Do you honestly believe that a lack of women at the highest level of any profession, let alone one where it is exclusively men, is only due to discrimination?

Not exclusively, but predominantly. It's difficult to be part of the "old boys' club" if you're not a boy to begin with.

 

[JPT]

Yes.

Not exclusively, but predominantly. It's difficult to be part of the "old boys' club" if you're not a boy to begin with.

It’s kind of a shame how the people who will immediately dismiss the idea that gender discrimination is a key contributing factor in the lack of female representation in certain fields will never realize their dismissal is exactly that kind of discrimination.

 

[daver]

It’s kind of a shame how the people who will immediately dismiss the idea that gender discrimination is a key contributing factor in the lack of female representation in certain fields will never realize their dismissal is exactly that kind of discrimination.

It's kind of a shame how people will always point to gender discrimination where is there anything less than equal gender representation in certain fields.

 

[VanIslander]

Cool hire!

 

[banks]

As a coaching candidate, she's qualified and capable.

As a woman, she's groundbreaking. And because of that she's doing something more than coaching. I'm going to make sure my kids watch some Kraken games this season, and I'll point out the woman behind the bench. I'm betting lots of other parents and kids will be doing the same. It's unquestionably good for the league to have representation like this. It's going to be a step in bringing a fresh injection new fans.

 

[SeanAveryTheGreatOne]

It was a shame seeing Twitter shit on her and immediately call her a "diversity hire." I'm just glad to see someone under the age of 50 get a chance at coaching, rather than recycling the same dinosaurs with antiquated systems all the time.

 

[Leonardo87]

Ok Folks, gave this thread a fair chance, but some people cannot help themselves from having to bring up social issue, politics, and etc into the discussion.

 

[Romang67]

Lol. She is the first one ever.

Lots of space in between no representation and perfectly equal representation. A larger ratio of coaches in the NHL being men isn't surprising, nor inherently a problem. But it sure seems a bit odd that not a single team has explored whether a female coach could have a positive. If you're naive enough to think that hiring is based only on qualification, of course.

It was a shame seeing Twitter shit on her and immediately call her a "diversity hire." I'm just glad to see someone under the age of 50 get a chance at coaching, rather than recycling the same dinosaurs with antiquated systems all the time.

Twitter was already a flaming trash pile before Elon Musk made is into his own personal echo chamber. It hasn't gotten better.