Historic NHL assistant coach is out as she eyes another league role: Jessica Campbell is parting ways

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Skyler Walker
April 30, 2026  (2:36 PM)

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Jessica Campbell is leaving the Kraken, and Lane Lambert now heads into the summer with a coaching vacancy to address.

Seattle confirmed Thursday that Campbell will not return as her contract expires.

The move opens the door for her to pursue another job elsewhere in the league.

That makes this more than a routine staff change.

It puts one of the league's most watched coaching names back on the market at a time when teams are still sorting out benches and support staffs.

Jason Botterill backed the decision and made it clear the split is not a break in trust.

The Kraken GM said the organization supports Campbell as she explores other NHL roles.

Campbell spent the past 4 years inside Seattle's system.

She earned her NHL bench role after 2 strong seasons with Coachella Valley, where the Firebirds reached the Calder Cup Final both times.

That track record matters here. She did not arrive in Seattle as a symbolic hire, and she is not leaving as one either.

When the Kraken promoted her in July 2024, Campbell became the first full-time female assistant coach in NHL history to work behind the bench during the regular season.

That part of the story was always bigger than one market.

Now the next step gets even more interesting.

A coach with NHL bench experience, player-development value, and a visible profile is suddenly available to clubs looking to reshape staff ahead of next season.

Campbell is 33, but her r�sum� already carries real weight.

Before coaching, the Moosomin, Saskatchewan native played for Canada at the 2015 world championship and won the Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno in 2016.

For Seattle, this creates another offseason item that cannot be brushed aside.

Lambert and the front office now need to replace a coach who had become a familiar voice around the bench and in the room.

For Campbell, this feels like a progression play.

She is not stepping away from the NHL grind. She is chasing a bigger opening, or at minimum a different one.

And around the league, teams will notice.

Coaches with her development background, AHL results, and NHL visibility do not stay available for long.

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POLL
AVRIL 30   |   360 ANSWERS Historic NHL assistant coach is out as she eyes another league role: Jessica Campbell is parting ways Should an NHL team give Jessica Campbell a bigger bench role right away ?
Yes	202	56.1 %
No	158	43.9 %
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