Kendall Coyne Schofield has yet to fully join PWHL Minnesota, as she takes more time postpartum with her new son, a fact Minnesota supports, and believes will pay dividends in her on ice performance this year.
Kendall Coyne Schofield has yet to fully join PWHL Minnesota, as she takes more time postpartum with her new son, a fact Minnesota supports, and believes will pay dividends in her on ice performance this year.
Kendall Coyne Schofield was the lone player from the PWHL's initial signing cohort not in attendance at the PHWL Preseason Camp this week. It was a decision that was made between Coyne Schofield and Minnesota to allow her the time she needs to prepare for the PWHL season.
According to Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz, she expects Coyne Schofield to be ready for the start of the PWHL season in January.
"She's skating 4-5 times per week right now," said Darwitz of Coyne Schofield. "We just made a personal decision as an organization to allow her more time. This was a benchmark to get ready for January 3, not December 4."
Coyne Schofield gave birth to her son Drew on July 1. As one of the key figures in the PWHPA, she's been involved in discussions for the league throughout her pregnancy and since. Darwitz believes giving the former USA national team captain the time to prepare, and with her son, will pay dividends this season.
"I think any day we can give her postpartum to stay in her routine with her little son at home and just feel good about that, I'm a big believer that if your home life is great, you're going to come to the rink great and vice versa," said Darwitz.
"So for us to allow her some extra time I think will go a long way, and I think it already has for her and the team fully understands her why, and what the circumstances are."
Darwitz also believes that the PWHL will be a league, and Minnesota a team that supports the family planning and goals for any of their players, a fact that's also written into pregnancy and parental protections in the league. In this way, according to Darwitz, players like Natalie Spooner, who also recently had a baby, and Kendall Coyne Schofield are showing the rest of the league that it's possible to do both.
"Quite honestly, the majority of our roster is young, if they want to have a kid in the next couple of years, Kendall is an example that you can come back, that you can do this."