Women's hockey star Kendall Coyne Schofield says she doesn't believe NBC Sports analyst Pierre McGuire questioned her knowledge of the sport during an awkward pre-game interaction.
McGuire was criticized on social media for telling Coyne Schofield which sides the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning were on during their broadcast of Wednesday night's game on NBC Sports Network. He also noted that the network was paying her to be an analyst and not a fan.
On Twitter, Coyne Schofield says she has known McGuire for years and she knows he respects her "as a hockey player, a woman and a friend."
McGuire said in a statement provided by NBC Sports that at times his "excitement got the better" of him and that "should have chosen my words better." McGuire has been calling women's hockey games for more than 15 years, including several Olympics.
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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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