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

[Drake1588]

Yeah, I agree that good coach and good player aren't the same thing, and here is the question, did they appoint her because she's a good coach or because she's a woman?

She got the job because she was an Assistant Coach in Coachella Valley, which has gone to the Calder Cup Final two years in a row. Their head coach, Dan Bylsma, just got promoted to be Seattle's Head Coach. She was really good on his staff and they worked well as a coaching team. They have a record of success in the AHL and know the team's prospects.

Seattle has a lot riding on the improvement of highly-drafted Shane Wright. He struggled in the NHL, and was sent to Coachella Valley, where the Firebirds did a very good job of getting him contributing and thriving. Wright is making the jump to the NHL this upcoming season, and both Bylsma and Campbell have a recent history of getting the most out of him (as well as other Seattle prospects about to get promoted to the NHL).

So that has a lot to do with the hire. That's a direct link to pro development in the organization, and more earned than a lot of other hires.

 

[Telos]

It shouldn't matter as long as they hired her because she is a good coach and they feel she is right for the job, nothing else matters beyond that. There's 100% gonna be an adjustment, but as long as she can do her job and effectively communicate to the team then there should be no problems and I am sure she will have the full backing of all the ownership and management to do just that.

Women are welcome in the sport, but also should be treated the same and should be subject to the same criticism any man would be in their position based on their job performance. Instances like Leah Hextall aren't being criticized because they are women (although that certainly would exist on some level), but mostly because she isn't very good at the play-by-play job and is probably better suited as a color analyst or another role.

 

[Frank Drebin]

The only coach hiring thread in the history of HFBoards without any criticism.

Yeah surprised there is only a few replies

 

[Kshahdoo]

She got the job because she was an Assistant Coach in Coachella Valley, which has gone to the Calder Cup Final two years in a row. Their head coach, Dan Bylsma, just got promoted to be Seattle's Head Coach. She was really good on his staff and they worked well as a coaching team. They have a record of success in the AHL and know the team's prospects.

Seattle has a lot riding on the improvement of highly-drafted Shane Wright. He struggled in the NHL, and was sent to Coachella Valley, where the Firebirds did a very good job of getting him contributing and thriving. Wright is making the jump to the NHL this upcoming season, and both Bylsma and Campbell have a recent history of getting the most out of him (as well as other Seattle prospects about to get promoted to the NHL).

So that has a lot to do with the hire. That's a direct link to pro development in the organization, and more earned than a lot of other hires.

I see, it looks like she's earned it.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

Amazing.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

If she is qualified for the job nobody should have any issues at all

Welcome change and making history

 

[Slapshot_11]

Congrats

 

[Sniper99]

But has she played the GAME!?!?!?

Nah, she saw an ad for assistant coach of an NHL team and said anybody can do that and applied,

 

[Chips]

congrats, a new voice!



Edit I can’t help myself sometimes lol

 

[D Wakaluk]

Is she related to the other Campbells? Like that gentleman Colin

 

[thepuckbunniesband]

Time will tell if it was a great hire on the coaching level but it is one I am happy finally happened.

 

[SoupNazi]

Is she related to the other Campbells? Like that gentleman Colin

I heard she’s a fifth cousin six times removed from the guy who created the soup.

 

[norrisnick]

I would say the same thing about any new hire that had no NHL or coaching/GM experience. Many people questioned if guys like Dubas earned his chance etc. Stop being sexist and proving my point that her gender matters more.

This post, from beginning to end, is an unintended masterpiece.

Chef's kiss...

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

I heard she’s a fifth cousin six times removed from the guy who created the soup.

What’s that make us?

 

[HanSolo]

Cool to hear. I hope she does well and I'll be interested to see how the Kraken perform this year.

 

[Sol]

damn that’s crazy

 

[Soundwave]

If she is qualified for the job nobody should have any issues at all

Welcome change and making history

Even to that point, like who cares. There are plenty of assistant coaches in the NHL that haven't earned shit really, they're just there riding the coattails of the head coach and/or were known friends to the GM/POHO.

There are plenty of assistant coaches in the league that have the job because they're in tight with the head coach or someone else in the front office, lets be honest.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

Congrats to her.

I hope for her sake she isn't faced with sexual comments and passes in a male-dominated league. Similarly, I hope the media doesn't treat her with "kid gloves" simply because she is a woman.

If we want these barriers to be broken down, the emphasis should not be on gender and race, and should solely be on their performance. No matter who they are, they should receive the same praise or ridicule as everyone else in their positions.

 

[Team_Spirit]

She has that look In every picture like she knows something we don't, she can probably save Shane Wright.

Congrats

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

All the women recently hired in the NHL are young and pretty.

Another question: how many assistant coaches are 32 years old without having been at the high level as a player?

I don't know about all the teams but in Montreal it's Alex Burrows, 43 years old, 13 years in the NHL.

On media paper it looks good but on the concrete ground, it will pose credibility problems. Training players who have more experience than you is going to be complicated.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Huh? I just quoted their article lol

"They’ve said upon entering the league that they hire based on race, sex, etc rather than ability. Any questions about whether this was a diversity hire are absolutely warranted given the fact they have admitted as much."

Which, given the context of the article, isn't true. You added in some flavour to downplay this hiring from "Yeah she earned it" to "Yeah she earned it because she's a girl."

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

All the women recently hired in the NHL are young and pretty.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

I don't have the reference

 

[mr figgles]

All the women recently hired in the NHL are young and pretty.

Another question: how many assistant coaches are 32 years old without having been at the high level as a player?

I don't know about all the teams but in Montreal it's Alex Burrows, 43 years old, 13 years in the NHL.

On media paper it looks good but on the concrete ground, it will pose credibility problems. Training players who have more experience than you is going to be complicated.

John Tortorella started as an assistant in the NHL around the same age and in the same manner.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

John Tortorella started as an assistant in the NHL around the same age and in the same manner.

He was still a dominant player at the current ECHL level in a context where there were only 21 NHL teams - so a guy whose level of play was very close to the NHL.

And he's a guy known for having a dominant temperament.

And that was 35 years ago when the demands on player background were lower.