Kendall Coyne Schofield leaves Sharks’ broadcast team, joins Blackhawks in new role

Kendall Coyne Schofield will not be a part of the San Jose Sharks’ broadcast team this upcoming season, announcing Monday she will return to her hometown of Chicago to be a player development coach and youth hockey growth specialist with the Blackhawks.

Coyne Schofield, 28, is the first woman player development coach in Blackhawks team history.

Schofield, an Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champion, was an NBC Sports California analyst for 13 Sharks games in 2019-20, part of a three-person broadcast crew that included play-by-play announcer Randy Hahn and either Jamie Baker or Bret Hedican. She was also a pre- and postgame analyst for the network during the 2019 playoffs.

During the NHL’s All-Star Weekend at SAP Center in January 2019, Coyne Schofield became the first woman to participate in the league’s skills competition. She participated in the fastest skater event — drawing cheers from the crowd and kudos from her competitors.

“From the moment I stepped on the ice for the NHL Fastest Skater Competition, to the moment I joined the Sharks broadcast team, San Jose you welcomed me, cheered for me, believed in me and embraced me as one of your own,” Coyne Schofield wrote in a note she posted on Twitter.

“Although the season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, it was my absolute honor and joy to work alongside so many incredible people within the San Jose Sharks and NBC Sports California family.”

Coyne Schofield made her broadcast debut on Oct. 10, 2019 when the Sharks played the Blackhawks at United Center.

“She’s passionate about growing the game,” said NBC Sports producer Sean Maddison said that day. “She’s excited about doing it. These are the only off days she has. She’s busier than any other human I know, but she’s been unbelievable so far. It couldn’t have worked out any better.”

Thank you, San Jose. I’m coming home, Chicago. Time to get to work @nhlblackhawks! https://t.co/RtSlhmFIwH pic.twitter.com/NUXEyX8wUz

— Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) November 23, 2020

Coyne Schofield wrote that her new job will allow her to continue to train with the U.S. Women’s National Team. The IIHF Women’s World Championship is scheduled to take place in April in Nova Scotia. The Americans are the defending champions, having won gold in 2019 in Finland. The 2020 championships were canceled.

A Sharks team spokesman said as of now, there are no plans to add another member to the broadcast team, which also features longtime radio play-by-play announcer Dan Rusanowsky. The NHL has not yet officially announced a start date for the 2020-21 season, although it is likely to begin in January.

The Blackhawks also announced Monday that Meghan Hunter, previously an executive assistant to general manager Stan Bowman, will be promote to director of hockey administration and amateur scout. The team hired Mary DeBartolo as a coordinator in hockey analytics last tear.

“It’s long overdue in my mind,” Bowman told ESPN. “It’s something that’s important to me. These three women are good hockey minds and it’s important to give them chances to take on bigger roles over the coming years.”