2024-05-28 20:46:00
New Seattle Kraken coach Dan Bylsma mentioned Tuesday throughout his introductory press convention that Coachella Valley Firebirds assistant Jessica Campbell’s identify is in dialogue for the same function on the NHL stage.
Bylsma, who beforehand coached the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, has been the pinnacle coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds for the previous two seasons. Campbell, who grew to become the primary lady behind the bench as a full-time coach in AHL historical past, labored underneath Bylsma and was instrumental within the group’s success in reaching the Calder Cup ultimate final season and advancing to Western Convention ultimate this season.
Bylsma, 53, mentioned he mentioned with Kraken normal supervisor Ron Francis the potential for bringing in one other coach to fill out the workers together with present assistants Jay Leach and Dave Lowry.
If the Kraken employed Campbell, she could be the primary lady behind an NHL bench as a coach or assistant coach in league historical past.
“Jessica is a part of the dialog. My different consultant Stu Bickel can also be a part of the dialogue, Bylsma mentioned. Proof of that’s what they’ve completed within the final two years with the event of the gamers there – Tye Kartye and Ryker Evans. They’re a part of the dialog about the way forward for the group right here. »
Bylsma replaces Dave Hakstol, who was fired after three seasons. Hakstol led the Kraken to the playoffs within the 2022-23 season. When he was fired, Seattle fired assistant Paul McFarland, who was answerable for the beginning and energy play.
Campbell, who oversees the Firebirds’ starters and extra numerical items, is chargeable for an offense that scored 257 objectives in his first season. That was sufficient to complete third within the league whereas the outnumbered unit was 14th. This season, the Firebirds led the AHL with 252 objectives and their energy play ranked 14th once more.
“I believe she did the job and that is why we employed her,” Francis mentioned. We didn’t rent her as a result of she is a lady. We employed her as a result of we thought she was a great coach. She has an attention-grabbing background, not solely in skating, but in addition in talent improvement. She runs the facility play, she works with the starters and she or he works with everybody to assist them enhance their skating and their improvement and, as Dan mentioned, she and Stu Bickel performed a giant function of their success there. »
Campbell was employed in July 2022 by the Kraken to be an assistant with the Firebirds. Earlier than beginning this coaching, she labored as a technical assistant and coach for Ice Tigers Nuremberg in Germany. She additionally served as an assistant for Germany on the 2022 IIHF Males’s World Championships, the place she grew to become the primary feminine member of the boys’s nationwide group teaching workers.
#NHL #Jessica #Campbell #be part of #Seattle #Kraken #teaching #workers