Frost Lock Up Leadership in Captain Kendall Coyne-Schofield – The Hockey Writers – Minnesota Frost

The PWHL offseason has been a fairly quiet one since the entry draft ended and the sporadic signings that have happened since. However, the Minnesota Frost made some big news with their announcement that captain Kendall Coyne-Schofield had re-signed to a two-year contract on Monday, August 31. The Frost lost quite a few players to expansion this last offseason just like before, but they managed to keep some of their main forwards, including Coyne-Schofield.

She was key to the Frost’s three straight postseason runs as well as their two Walter Cup wins. It may have taken some time, but the Frost held on to one of their main players, and in this article we’ll take a look at what Coyne-Schofield means to the team and how important it was that they secured her. 

Coyne-Schofield Leads by Example

Captains are known for their leadership qualities both on and off the ice, and they lead by example whether it’s by how they play or how they boost the morale of their team. Coyne-Schofield is the perfect example of what a captain should be, as she leads by example with the way she plays as well as the way she speaks about and believes in her team. 

Every shift, she gives over 100 percent, and no matter how hard she gets hit, she gets right back up and continues to push. She makes her linemates better and elevates her team in a way captains do. She’s been the Frost’s captain since day one and has seen a lot of ups and downs throughout the league’s duration. 

The Frost are lucky to have her back as she’s a pivotal piece of their team and crucial to help lead the younger players as they start their professional journeys. Seeing how she plays and carries herself is great for those players to see and learn from. 

Coyne-Schofield Produces on Both Sides

Having a player like Coyne-Schofield is great not only for her leadership skills but also her two-way play. She’s known for the offense she creates, both scoring goals and setting them up with her speed and puck-handling abilities, but she’s also strong on the defensive side of the puck as well. 

She utilizes that speed she loves to showcase to race back on the backcheck and is rarely caught behind the play. She’s not afraid to take shots, and she’s not afraid to block them either, but she’s usually swiping the puck off the stick rather than blocking it. Even when the stakes get higher in the postseason, she finds ways to show up, whether it’s scoring goals or preventing them. 

The Frost lost some crucial talent over the offseason, but having Coyne-Schofield return is a big momentum boost. While she’s key to the offense, she’s also a big part of the defense as well, and they’re going to be stronger with her. 

Coyne-Schofield Knows What it Takes

The final reason this is a big signing for the Frost is Coyne-Schofield knows what it takes to go all the way. She’s won the Walter Cup twice and was captain for both, and she’s been through the unknown of a brand new league with new rules, etc and found a way to help bring her team all the way. 

For both Walter Cup runs, the Frost were not a favorite, and they had to fight their way from behind to even make it through. She helped them keep their hopes up and push their way back in and eventually came out on top. The third run wasn’t quite what they hoped, but they still did something they hadn’t, and that was earning a postseason spot earlier than ever before. 

She’s fought injuries and won a gold medal, so she truly knows what it takes to win from all sides. She also knows how to lead her team in a loss when things don’t go their way, and they did so with sportsmanship. She’s the all-around player, and that’s exactly why the Frost have her as their leader. 

Having Coyne-Schofield back gives the Frost a big advantage, even if she is on the older side of the league, while others, like Grace Zumwinkle, are on the younger side. She can still keep up and outskate a good chunk of the players, and although she’s smaller, she rarely gets knocked off the puck. She leads the team off and on the ice to the best of her abilities, and she does so with class. The Frost are lucky to have her back, and hopefully she can help lead them to a third Walter Cup.