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Emily KaplanESPN
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Brianna Decker is getting paid after all.
Decker, the U.S. women’s national team player, demonstrated the premier passing drill at the NHL All-Star skills event on Friday night. She appeared to record a time of 1:06 in the demo, which beat out the eight NHL player participants, including winner Leon Draisaitl (1:09). The winner of the event gets $25,000 and that prize went to Draisaitl — which upset many fans.
So on Saturday, the hockey manufacturing company CCM decided to pay Decker themselves. In a Tweet posted Saturday afternoon, CCM announced it would give Decker the $25,000.
We’re gonna #PayDecker. pic.twitter.com/TbWSD7NAQP
— CCM Hockey (@CCMHockey) January 26, 2019
An NHL spokesperson declined comment.
There was some confusion about when exactly the clock started for Decker’s demo, but is noteworthy that six of the other NHL participants — Thomas Chabot, Roman Josi, Erik Karlsson, Ryan O’Reilly, Mikko Rantanen and Keith Yandle — took longer than 1:25 to complete the drill.
When asked about Decker’s time after the competition, Draisaitl, the German-born Edmonton Oilers forward said: “She beat me. Wow. That is impressive. That’s really impressive. Good for her.”
Decker, 27, plays for the Calgary Inferno of the CWHL. A University of Wisconsin alumna, she is the 2012 Patty Kazmaier Award winner as the top college hockey player in the country.
The NHL made news on Friday by including Decker’s U.S. women’s national teammate, Kendall Coyne Schofield, in the fastest skater competition. Coyne Schofield became the first female to ever participate in the All Star skills event. Coyle Schofield posted a time of 14.346, which placed seventh out of a field that also included Connor McDavid, Cam Atkinson, Mathew Barzal, Jack Eichel, Miro Heiskanen, Clayton Keller and Elias Pettersson. Coyne Schofield finished ahead of Keller’s 14.526 seconds. McDavid won in 13.378, his third straight title in the event.
“Obviously I was a little nervous,” Coyne Schofield said afterward. “But I knew it was a moment that was going to break a lot of barriers and a moment that would change the perception of our game.” On Saturday, Coyle Schofield told ESPN on Ice she was aware of the groundswell of support for Decker and she was on board for the campaign to get her paid: “I think she took first place. I mean, absolutely. I agree.”