Kendall Coyne Schofield, five-time gold medalist at the IIHF World Women’s Championships and a forward on the champion 2018 U.S. Olympic team, took to Twitter Thursday to address comments made by NBC Sports host Pierre McGuire, who was widely criticized for ‘mansplaining’ her while they analyzed Wednesday’s Penguins-Lightning game. McGuire drew harsh backlash online for telling Schofield that “Tampa’s going to be on your left. Pittsburgh’s going to be on your right,” and asking “What are you expecting out of this game? We’re paying you to be an analyst, not to be a fan tonight!” But in a lengthy note posted to Twitter, Schofield wrote that “I’ve known Pierre McGuire for years. I know he respects me as a hockey player, a woman, and a friend and that’s why I didn’t think twice about our on-air exchange when it happened.” While she would have been offended if she watched the interaction on TV without knowing the context, she said, “what I know is how excited Pierre was for me to be a part of this moment. While I wish it came out differently, I know Pierre doesn’t question my hockey knowledge.” 

McGuire also responded to the backlash on Thursday. “We were all thrilled to have (Kendall) join our coverage last night, but at times my excitement got the better of me and I should have chosen my words better,” he wrote. “I have the utmost respect for Kendall as a world-class player, analyst of the game, and role model.”