Kendall Coyne Schofield's night as a guest analyst on a national telecast may, unfortunately, be most remembered for a number of awkward comments from fellow broadcaster Pierre McGuire.

At the outset of Wednesday night's game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins, McGuire explained how things would work to Coyne Schofield, the five-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist who stole the show at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition last week.

"So, Tampa's gonna be on your left, Pittsburgh's gonna be on your right," McGuire said. "What are you expecting out of this game? We're paying you to be an analyst, not to be a fan tonight!"

Later in the game, after some rough stuff between the Lightning and Penguins, there was another awkward exchange.

Coyne Schofield issued a statement on Thursday about the game.

"I've known Pierre McGuire for years," she wrote on Twitter. "I know he respects me as a hockey player, a woman, and a friend and that is why I didn't think twice about our on-air exchange when it happened. I didn't give it a second thought until after the game when I received countless messages."

Coyne Schofield said she understands why people would think it was inappropriate but knows how excited McGuire was for her to be part of the broadcast, adding that despite the nature of his remarks, she believes there are more significant things to focus on.

"While I wish it came out differently, I know Pierre doesn't question my hockey knowledge. But, to be honest, that's not what's important. What IS important is for every young girl reading this to know it doesn't matter what anyone thinks of my hockey knowledge - because I do not doubt my hockey knowledge.

"I don't need a gold medal to come to that conclusion. I needed belief in myself. That took time to build and I would never let someone else undo all of that work on the ice - and especially off. Last night was magical, nerve-wracking, and incredible. I learned two things: I loved being a part of it and I need to get better. All of THAT I control."

McGuire also addressed the topic with a statement, via The Athletic's Katie Strang:

"I've known Kendall for years and have had the privilege of covering her as a member of Team USA at the past two Winter Olympics. We were all thrilled to have her join our coverage last night, but at times my excitement got the better of me and I should have chosen my words better. I have the utmost respect for Kendall as a world-class player, analyst of the game, and role model."

Coyne Schofield graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in communications studies from Northeastern in 2016, and she's currently working on her master's in corporate and organizational communications at the school.

Along with Team USA teammate Brianna Decker, Coyne Schofield was the talk of the hockey world last Friday night. Coyne Schofield replaced Nathan MacKinnon in the Fastest Skater event and finished her lap with a time of 14.346 seconds, which beat Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes and trailed Connor McDavid by about a second.

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