More than she could have ever thought.
"I never imagined myself as a person in a position as a trailblazer," Campbell said, "so there's a huge responsibility, privilege, that comes with the weight of that responsibility. Knowing that every day, I'm driven to do the best that I can as a coach, but to really feel it in the magnitude today of the conversations. Those are the pieces for me that would have shaped me as a young person, a young athlete, a young coach, knowing and hearing that I could do it.
"I don't want there to be anyone who doesn't see themselves in this game, in our sport, in our league anymore. I think that's what today really meant to me."
It wasn't an easy season for the Kraken (35-41-6). They missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in their four seasons, finishing seventh in the Pacific Division and 20 points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card from the Western Conference. Coach Dan Bylsma was fired April 19, beginning a transition phase that had Jason Botterill getting promoted to executive vice president and general manager and former GM Ron Francis becoming president of hockey operations.
Botterill confirmed April 22 the Kraken will retain Campbell for next season with decisions on the rest of the coaching staff coming on a later date.
What's next for Campbell is a virtual presentation for the NHL Coaches' Association and a visit to Stockholm, Sweden, for the 2025 IIHF World Championship beginning May 9, to speak about running a power play.
"Just storytelling, sharing my experiences, sharing my wisdom, my knowledge and doing that in ways to grow the game," Campbell said. "Just sharing my mind, how I see the game, I think that's important. That's where people start to hear your voice and your way of looking at the game. That, again, is part of the movement, and I have to keep doing those things."
Progressive thinking is in the Kraken's DNA. To Campbell's left on stage was director, research and development Namita Nandakumar, coming to Seattle after an internship and full-time job with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before Alexandra Mandrycky's ascension to assistant GM, she was a data analyst for the Minnesota Wild from 2015-19, Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke long advocating analytics from the beginning that lured her to Seattle. Mandrycky hired Nandakumar before the Seattle franchise had a name.
Then there's Campbell, promoted to the Kraken on July 3 after two seasons as Bylsma's assistant for Coachella Valley, the Kraken's American Hockey League affiliate. Linda Cohn, a special host with the Kraken Hockey Network and an ESPN anchor for 32 years, experienced something new.
"To see so many little girls wearing Kraken jerseys, but here for Jessica, holding up signs, I have just a warm place in my heart for something like this," said Cohn, seated to Campbell's right. "Because she's so humble, she doesn't realize the impact -- well, maybe you do -- that she is making for so many women across North America just because of her presence."
