Decker paid, but not by NHL, for passing skill performance

Brianna Decker excelled so well as the demonstrator of the premier passing drill at the NHL All-Star skills event that none of the NHL players could match her performance. And now her pocketbook is $25,000 heavier because of it.

Hockey manufacturing company CCM announced Saturday that it will pay Decker $25,000 for posting the best time in the event on Friday at San Jose, Calif., after the NHL awarded the prize money to Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. Decker's demonstration time of 1 minute, 6 seconds was three seconds better than Draisaitl, who had the best time -- by nine seconds -- of the eight NHL player participants.

The awarding of the cash to Draisaitl prompted social media backlash using the hashtag #PayDecker. The 27-year-old Decker is a partner of CCM, and the company tweeted out "We're gonna #PayDecker" with an attached note:

"Brianna, The CCM Hockey family would like to congratulate you on your performance at last night's skills competition. 1:06, that's pretty fast!

We understand the importance of recognizing female hockey players and are pleased to give you the 25,000$ that you deserve. You are an ambassador for growing the women's game and we are so proud to have you on the CCM team.

Sincerely, Your friends at CCM Hockey"

The Olympic gold medalist, who plays for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women's Hockey League, offered this response on Twitter a short while later. "Sincerely thankful @CCMHockey You have been nothing but 1st class the last 5 years I have been a part of your family! Thank you for supporting the men's and women's game equally! #NHLAllStar #MadeofHockey #Hockeyisforeveryone"

After the event was over, Draisaitl was told that Decker had a better time than him. "She beat me. Wow. That is impressive," Draisaitl told reporters. "That's really impressive. Good for her."

Also on Friday, Decker's teammate on the U.S. national team, Kendall Coyne Schofield, became the first female to officially compete in an All-Star skills event, and finished seventh out of eight participants in the fastest skater competition. Her time was 14.346 seconds. "Obviously, I was a little nervous," Coyne Schofield told reporters 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."

--Field Level Media