Jessica Campbell of the Seattle Kraken broke new ground on Tuesday when she became the first woman to coach in the NHL.
And while the assistant bench boss’ name has been etched into the history books, her face is drawing comparisons to a famous comedian.
As viewers tuned into the Kraken’s season opener against the St. Louis Blues, many quickly pointed out that Campbell bears a notable likeness to American stand-up comic Nikki Glaser.
Nikki Glaser new gig! 🔥 https://t.co/Ne3re68HJS
— Carl Spitale (@MrBigSpit) October 9, 2024
Is @NikkiGlaser the first female comedian to cross over into coaching a male sports team?
— Steven Douglass (@NoPartyAff) October 9, 2024
Man, @NikkiGlaser is really on an impressive run lately https://t.co/IOm54bVuNC
— Torrey Laffoon (@TorreyLaffoon) October 9, 2024
The resemblance between the television personality and former Team Canada forward was so striking that Glaser herself joined in on the fun, sharing her thoughts on social media.
Shortly after the game wrapped, the 40-year-old comedian took to Instagram to thank her newfound fans, playfully pretending to be Campbell.
“Thanks to everyone who congratulated me today,” she wrote. “I’m ready for the challenge.”
“So proud of my team,” she added, committing to the impromptu bit.
While it was completely by accident, this isn’t the first time Glaser has made waves with NHL fans.
Back in July, her roast skills were on full display at the ESPY Awards, where she introduced the nominees for Best Male Athlete.
During her segment at the ESPN event, which celebrates excellence in sports performance, Glaser didn’t hold back, delivering one-liners aimed at MLB star Shohei Ohtani, golfer Scottie Scheffler, NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
“Nothing will stand in the way of these incredible athletes and their pursuit of greatness… except the Florida Panthers,” Glaser quipped as she opened the portion of her monologue about the Oilers.
Turning her attention to McDavid, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy despite his team losing the series in seven games, she added, “Boy, Connor, that must have hurt to lose a game of ice hockey to a place that doesn’t even have ice.”