The Coachella Valley Firebirds have hired Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach, making her the first woman to hold that role at the AHL level. She joins Dan Bylsma’s staff after a year of coaching in Germany with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL. Campbell also served as an assistant coach for Germany at the recent men’s IIHF World Championship and medaled for Team Canada at the women’s tournament during her playing days.
Campbell and Bylsma will take the reins of a new AHL franchise in its first year, one that still has plenty of spots to fill. Because they are so new to the league, the Seattle Kraken have yet to populate the system with many draft picks and actually have just 23 players signed to NHL contracts in the entire organization. That’s obviously not enough to give the Firebirds a fighting chance, meaning plenty of work will be needed by Ron Francis and company in the coming weeks and months.
- The Colorado Avalanche might not be looking for a new goaltender after all. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet believes that the Avalanche are working on extensions for Darcy Kuemper and Valeri Nichushkin, noting that there is a “decent chance” the netminder sticks around. If Kuemper does sign with Colorado, it would thin out a very shallow free agent goaltending pool even further, and potentially put even more pressure on the teams without legitimate starting options.
- Friedman also notes that the idea Erik Johnson could retire to create some additional cap room won’t be happening. Peter Baugh of The Athletic even asked the veteran defenseman directly, who explained that he wants to play for a “lot longer.” The Stanley Cup champion is heading into the last season of his seven-year, $42MM deal and carries a cap hit of $6MM for 2022-23.
It didn’t take to long for woke hires In the NHL. Hope Bettman realizes he’s alienating a large chunk of the fanbase.
Wait, Bettman makes the AHL hires as well as front office hires for the NHL? Wow, first pizzagate and now this.
Am I wrong or are essentially saying most in of the NHL fans a racists?
Note to Bettman: Incels are mad.
L
There’s a difference between a guy like Mike Grier who’s put in the work and was worthy of being a GM candidate and hires like this AHL stunt.
Riiiiiiiiiight. Because the MAGA moonbats are shaking their fists in rage because an AHL team hired someone with boobs.
In which number — given that you give the same knee-jerk complaint about ANY report of a woman being hired — you are securely demonstrating yourself to be. What the hell is wrong with you?
You’re arguing she didn’t put in the work? She is just the product of a stunt?
If you can’t distinguish between women’s hockey and men’s hockey, then I can’t help you understand the issues at hand here.
Now those are some sick jerseys.
The arena of the parent team is named “Climate Pledge” Tells you all you need to know.
…about what, besides you?
“Our team may stink, but our virtue signaling makes up for it!”.
Tells us that BoltforLife is a card carrying member of the Tin Foil Hat Brigade, I expect.