Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first woman to participate in the NHL All-Star skills competition Friday, substituting for Colorado Avalanche center Nathan McKinnon in the fastest skater event, NHL.com reported.
Coyne Schofield, 26, a 5-foot-2 forward and gold medalist for the U.S. national team, placed seventh in the event with a time of 14.346 seconds, ESPN reported.
Edmonton's Connor McDavid became the first player to win the competition for three consecutive years, finishing in 13.378 seconds, NHL.com reported.
"I thought she was unbelievable, she was absolutely flying out there," McDavid said.
Coyne Schofield, of Palos Heights, Illinois, won five gold medals at the IIHF World Women's Championships, a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and a silver at the 2014 games, while playing for Team USA.
“My first impression was, like, ‘I can do this,’” Coyne Schofield said at a news conference after the event. “My speed is definitely my strength. Obviously, I was a little nervous, but I knew it was a moment that was going to break a lot of barriers, and a moment that would change the perceptions of our game.
“It was so exciting.”
