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Seattle Kraken say assistant coach Jessica Campbell will not return next season

Seattle Kraken say assistant coach Jessica Campbell will not return next season | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell looks on from behind the bench during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Jan. 11, 2025, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)

SEATTLE (AP) — Jessica Campbell, the first woman to be an on-bench assistant coach in NHL history, will not return to the Seattle Kraken next season, the team said Thursday.

General manager Jason Botterill said Campbell’s contract is expiring and she expressed a desire to explore other roles around the league.

“We support her in this process,” Botterill said in a statement. “Jessica has been an important member of our coaching staff for the past four years, demonstrating deep knowledge and a unique ability to connect with and develop players. We respect her decision and believe strongly in her as a coach in this league.”

Campbell, a former member of Canada’s national women’s team, was promoted from the American Hockey League’s Coachella Firebirds along with Dan Bylsma in 2024 after he became the organization’s second head coach.

The native of Moosomin, Sask., was retained after Bylsma was fired a year ago and replaced by Lane Lambert.

The Kraken missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons and only qualified once since their debut in 2021-22. The Firebirds made back-to-back trips to the Calder Cup Final when Campbell was on Bylsma’s AHL staff.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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