Seattle Kraken hire Jessica Campbell as 1st female assistant in AHL, add goaltending coach

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — The Coachella Valley Firebirds, an affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, have hired the American Hockey League’s first female assistant coach.

Jessica Campbell spent the past year working with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL development program and she was an assistant coach with Germany at the IIHF men’s world championships.

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Coachella Valley is set to begin its first season this fall as the AHL affiliate for the Seattle Kraken.

“Jessica’s 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 is her strength,” Coachella Valley coach Dan Bylsma said. “She has a passion for developing all aspects of the game and creating players with impact.”

The Coachella Valley @Firebirds have named Jessica Campbell (@boof_campbell) as the first-ever assistant coach in franchise history!

Learn more about the first female @TheAHL assistant coach → https://t.co/PdKKemdO4u pic.twitter.com/9wueDGEh3F

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 5, 2022

Seattle general manager Ron Francis said Bylsma asked whether the Kraken were open to all candidates after he was hired as the head coach of the Firebirds and was drawn to Campbell’s background as a skating coach. Seattle had previously hired Hall of Famer Cammi Granato as one of its first pro scouts before the team ever took the ice.

“We think that (Campbell) brings a lot of good attributes to the position and we think that she can work with our young players and make them better, and we wouldn’t have hired if we didn’t think she was capable of doing that,” Francis said. “So we’re excited that she’s the first, but that’s not why we hired her. We hired her because she’s capable of doing the job and making us better.”

Campbell was part of the Canadian national team program and played three seasons for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She also played collegiately at Cornell.

In other news from the Seattle Kraken, the NHL team announced Tuesday morning that it has hired Steve Briere as goaltending coach. Briere comes from the Toronto Maple Leafs staff, where he coached alongside Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol for two seasons.

“We’re excited to welcome Steve to the Kraken,” said Francis in a press release. “Steve’s body of work speaks for itself. He has been successful throughout his career and we expect the same in Seattle. He will bring additional value to our coaching staff.”

Said Briere: “Anytime you have the opportunity to work in the NHL it’s a privilege and I’m beyond excited to get started in Seattle. I would like to thank the organization and specifically Ron Francis and Dave Hakstol for believing in me … the chance to help build something special alongside them.”

Welcome to Seattle! 🦑

Get to know our newest #SeaKraken hire, Goaltending Coach Steve Briere → https://t.co/cxBVDrn5bZ pic.twitter.com/ngPqzX85ZE

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 5, 2022

SeattleSports.com staff contributed to this post.

A look at Seattle Kraken AHL affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds taking shape