U.S. Olympian, Frost captain Coyne Schofield taking PWHL season off after announcing her pregnancy

Four-time U.S. Olympian and Minnesota Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield is taking a leave from hockey because she is pregnant with her second child, she said in an announcement on Thursday.

The 34-year-old Coyne Schofield revealed the news in a social media post on X that featured a picture of her son, Drew, wearing a cap with the words “big bro” on it, and the caption: “Coming soon…” followed by a heart emoji.

Coyne Schofield will miss the entire PWHL season and will not compete in the women’s world ice hockey championship tournament, which opens in Denmark next week. Though she practiced with Team USA at its pretournament camp in Plymouth, Michigan, this week, she will not be joining the team overseas, the team said.

“We can’t wait to welcome the newest member of the Frost family next year, and we’ll be here to support Kendall and her family every way possible,” Frost GM Melissa Caruso wrote in a message posted by the team on its X account. “Kendall means so much to our team both on and off the ice. While we’ll miss seeing her compete this season, the leadership, experience and energy she brings to the Frost extends far beyond the game.”

Coyne Schofield is from the Chicago area and is married to former NFL offensive lineman Michael Schofield. In August, she signed a two-year contract to continue playing for the Frost, with whom Coyne Schofield opened her PWHL career as one of the team’s first three foundational players in 2023.

She won her second Olympic gold medal in February at the Milan Cortina Games, and is a two-time silver medalist. She’s also a two-time PWHL Walter Cup champion with the Frost.

Coyne Schofield played an integral role in negotiations to launch the PWHL as a six-team league in 2023. She’s previously joked that she give birth to her son on July 1, 2023 and then the league a day later, when players voted to ratify the PWHL’s collective bargaining agreement.

Before the inaugural season opened, the PWHL altered its CBA as a result of Coyne Schofield by providing a nanny for players’ children through their first birthday.

Overall, Coyne Schofield has 41 goals and 98 points in 89 international career games, to go along with six world championship gold medals. In 77 career PWHL games, she’s tied for fourth on the league list with 30 career goals and tied for third with 63 points.

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John Wawrow, The Associated Press