Jessica Campbell made history on Oct. 8 by becoming the first woman in National Hockey League (NHL) history to be coaching behind the bench on opening night for the Seattle Kraken. This is a groundbreaking achievement, not just for Campbell, but for all women in sports, marking an impactful shift towards diversity in professional hockey. Campbell’s role with the Seattle Kraken symbolizes a break from gender norms, showing that coaching skills are acquired through hard work, skill and dedication, regardless of gender.
With more diverse representation, the NHL paves the way for future female coaches and staff.
Campbell’s rise in the hockey world started with years of dedication and hard work. Before joining the Kraken, she helped lead the Coachella Valley Firebirds to the Calder Cup finals and made strides with international teams, such as Germany’s men’s national team. Her success has brought positive, long-overdue changes in the diversity of coaching in the NHL.
Some critics have already begun to blame the Kraken’s losses on Campbell, and many argue that these complaints stem solely from her being a woman. This absolutely infuriates me as she is already dealing with the challenges women face in traditionally male-dominated fields. Coaching is a team effort, and blaming Campbell alone ignores the complexities that go on in sports, where the outcomes of a game could be due to many things.
With more diverse representation, the NHL paves the way for future female coaches and staff. Young girls who aspire to have hockey careers now have a new role model to look up to, seeing that it’s possible to reach their dreams. As a woman hoping to one day work alongside my favorite teams, this monumental achievement means everything to me.
As we witness Campbell make her mark on the NHL, it is important to critique her on her abilities and not her gender. We should judge all coaches, men and women, on their skill, hard work and the positive change they bring to the league. I am very passionate about hockey and can not wait to support her — I already have tickets to a Kraken game.
chollywo@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of soupy08_, Instagram
