When the recent “espnW Summit” in New York City needed panelists for a forum on “Women At The Helm,” they were able to recruit a 1st line entirely made up of successful women affiliated with the Seattle Kraken.
Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell told audience members and those watching remotely, “I have to be the most prepared, the most detailed in my coaching, and come with that conviction and confidence that I’m here to help the team succeed. When you do that, that transcends everything.”
Kraken director of research and development Namita Nandakumar shared that, “I read Moneyball in high school and I remember being so gripped by it but thinking, ‘That doesn’t really apply to me (because I’m female).'”
Longtime ESPN anchor Linda Cohn, who moonlighted with the Kraken Hockey Network in 2024-25, contributed this mic-drop comment. “If anyone says any of us were lucky, you spell luck W-O-R-K.”
Kraken Inspired Campbell By Hiring Granato
Campbell revealed that the Kraken influenced her career path long before she joined the organization as an assistant coach at AHL Coachella Valley in 2022.
“When I was deciding as a coach to go for it, I had to quit my job and start my (power skating) business. As I was doing that, betting on myself, I caught in the news that Cammi Granato was hired as a scout with the Kraken in the earliest phase (of the franchise).
“I saw that and I was like, ‘Wait!’ That was a moment for me – I still get chills because, seeing Cammi, I was like, ‘Maybe I could coach for that team.’ What that did for me in that moment was seeing the action of someone being allies, understanding that having different voices, different experiences – qualified people – regardless of gender, age, backgrounds, having those voices at the table built stronger teams.
“The visibility behind the bench is where I feel great pride and honor. Not only is it a testament to all the women doing great work, but the young girls who are coming and on their way. They might now see a door opened for themselves. That for me every day is a driving force and motivating.”
Campbell may be the first woman in her position, but pointed out she’s far from the only female making an impact. “There’s a long list of 200+ women in our league already doing incredible jobs; in management, in player development, scouting and media and analytics.”
From Flying With Eagles To Swimming With Kraken
Speaking of analytics, that’s Nandakumar’s specialty with the Kraken. She wasn’t always sure the world of sports data-crunching would welcome her. “It’s the intersection of two male-dominated fields, the world of sports and the world of tech and STEM. But every time I had a chance to do a research project, I wanted it to be about sports.”
Nandakumar worked for two years with the Philadelphia Eagles, when she got a life-changing phone call. “My boss, Alex Mandrycky, one of a handful of female AGMs (assistant general managers) in the NHL, said, ‘How would you like to start an NHL team together?'”
Namita’s answer was, “That sounds like the coolest thing in the world.” She joined the Kraken in 2020, initially to help the franchise prepare for the 2021 expansion and entry drafts. Her analytics duties still includes draft strategy, and also contract evaluation.
Reception Can Be Cold As Ice
Pioneers like Nandakumar, Campbell and Cohn don’t often talk about the emotional toll extracted by those who wish to block their path, or make it unpleasant to walk. Campbell made an exception at the ESPN event.
“We’ve come a long way, but we’re still not quite there in our sport.
“There’s a lot of weight behind being the only female in the room. There’s a lot of (negative) voices. We’re all human. I feel that. You feel all of the magnitude of being in the trenches with the role of a coach, but I also find there’s a double layer for me – feeling like I’m carrying a torch for many women, for young kids. That’s what I think inspires me to handle the s**t, the adversity and challenges.”
Cohn’s pre, post, and intermission hosting duties for Kraken home games was done at an in-arena anchor desk. “Being at Climate Pledge Arena, being around Jessica, looking into the crowd and seeing all the young girls holding up signs, here to see Jessica Campbell behind the bench and coach the men, that’s what I noticed.”
What Cohn termed the value of “external validation” is something Campbell says she’s reflected on during her first season behind an NHL bench. It was a comment from an NHL player at her skating school. “A turning point in my path. Brent Seabrook said to me, ‘You’re going to coach in the NHL some day.’ A veteran, Stanley Cup winner believes I can get his game where it needs to be. It was just the nudge I needed to keep going.
“I say it in a way where sometimes it pisses me off. I say, ‘They gave me permission to believe I could do it.’ But they were giving me the confidence and conviction to believe in something that traditionally has not been believable.”
Campbell’s advice to women who’d like to follow her path starts with what she’s learned herself. “Show up as yourself. Do the work. Believe in yourself. My emotional awareness with these guys that I’m working with, sitting with them and treating them like a human. They’re not always used to that vulnerable conversation. When they go there, now we can tap into the magic of coaching.”
And what she’s found works with hockey players as individuals can also work at an organizational level. “When (teams) do things outside of the comfort zone, it creates an opportunity for others to look it as a blueprint – ‘Are they having success with that? Maybe now we will have the permission to get a little uncomfortable and do things differently.’ The Kraken have done a fantastic job of doing that for all of us.”