Hockey player uses stick to ‘shoot’ White Sox’s ceremonial first pitch

Hockey players, over the years, have thrown out many first pitches for baseball teams. Both Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews have done so over the last year, to varying degrees of success. Only a fair few hockey players have, however, used a hockey stick to deliver a first pitch.

Marc Johnstone, captain of the USHL’s Chicago Steel, has joined that pantheon of established hockey players to throw out ceremonial first pitches with a hockey stick. Before Wednesday night’s White Sox game, Johnstone was tasked with the first pitch, and he nailed it with sweet wrist shot over the plate:

Not only is that ball a clear strike on the inner half, it also had some solid curve to it as it sailed into the waiting glove of White Sox catcher Kevan Smith.

Previously, Senators head coach Guy Boucher and players from the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” squad have used hockey sticks to deliver the ceremonial first pitch. Boucher’s in particular is fantastic, as the Tampa Bay Rays catcher receiving the pitch gets into a full goaltender stance with an opposing hockey stick, all before the Senators coach delivers a strike.

Now we have Johnstone’s perfect strike to add to the mix of hockey player first pitches. And what an addition it is!