Danica Patrick Shows She Can Swing a Hockey Stick Pretty Well

NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was a surprise attendee at Tuesday night's opening game of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinal series between the visiting Minnesota Wild and host Chicago Blackhawks.

But Patrick, who is in her rookie campaign on NASCAR's Sprint Cup circuit, wasn't just a normal run-of-the-mill Blackhawks fan, having grown up 90 miles from Chicago in tiny Roscoe, Ill., where she was among other things, a cheerleader for her high school's athletic teams.

No, Patrick actually participated in Tuesday night's activities, taking part in a shooting contest between the second and third periods, wearing a home team jersey complete with her trademark No. 10 and her last name on the back.

And you know what? Put simply, Patrick showed she knows how to handle a hockey stick, sending her first shot into the goal with an air of confidence and authority (video courtesy of NHL.com).

Unfortunately, she missed her other three attempts—probably got a bit nervous with over 21,000 Blackhawks fans watching. Still, she got a big round of applause on the goal she did make, which Patrick almost seemed a bit embarrassed about when you see her response on the video.

But you can also tell by watching the video that if this whole NASCAR thing doesn't work out for her, she may have a future in hockey!

Patrick may have found a new role as the Blackhawks' good luck charm, as the hometown team defeated the Wild 2-1 in overtime. Too bad she likely won't be back in Chi-Town for Friday's Game 2: She'll have to deal with her day job, practicing and qualifying for this Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway.

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