It’s time for some intellectual honesty in the debate over women’s hockey. At the 2019 NHL All-Star Game skills competition in San Jose, Kendall Coyne made the world take notice when she blasted out of the gates as a surprise entry in the fastest-skater competition, ending with a time good enough to beat Arizona’s Clayton Keller. Coyne had been invited to participate by the Colorado Avalanche once their star center Nathan MacKinnon determined he was too banged up to take part – and clearly the Avs came up with a good sub.
Coyne, of course, is a highly decorated player, having won Olympic gold with Team USA and playing a key role in the NWHL with the Minnesota Whitecaps. Had she failed to keep up with the boys in her fast lap, there would have been a lot of I-told-you-so’s from those who s...