American Kendall Coyne Schofield made history during the NHL All-Star Skills competition by becoming the first women's hockey player matched up against NHL competition after subbing in for an injured Nathan MacKinnon.
To say she just competed would be a massive understatement. The five-time IIHF World Champion and 2018 Olympic gold medalist defeated Arizona Coyotes star Clayton Keller and finished seventh overall with a time of 14.346 seconds, just 0.968 behind Connor McDavid's winning time of 14.346.
Coyne-Schofield is married to Los Angeles Chargers offensive guard Michael Schofield, who described her efforts as "history and breaking barriers for women in sports" in an interview with the Chargers' website following the event.
"What I think is so cool, I feel like when they talk about the difference between men’s and women’s hockey, it’s usually one of the first things that comes to mind, besides the hitting, is that the speed of the game is slower. Well, by my wife doing that, you can’t argue that anymore. She’s keeping up with the fastest of the fastest in the NHL.”
Schofield himself might not have the blazing wheels his wife possesses, but he seems to be learning how to maneuver out on an ice surface. The Charger posted a video to his Twitter on Wednesday while having some fun at his own expense with his followers.
Not too shabby for a football player who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 301-pounds. Just imagine if Schofield recruited the entire Chargers' offensive line out for a skate or even a game of shinny.
If Schofield puts in the time this off-season and gets a couple of more skating lessons from his wife, then perhaps he could get his time under double of what Kendall's score would be...one day.
