Natalie Darwitz’s tenure ended as general manager of the PWHL’s champion Minnesota franchise following an internal and external review,…
Natalie Darwitz’s tenure as general manager of the PWHL’s champion Minnesota franchise ended following an internal and external review, vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said Saturday.
Without going into detail about the findings, which included input from players and staff, Hefford called the decision difficult but eventually necessary for the betterment of the PWHL.
“The response we received was pretty direct and pretty clear that there was no path forward with the current staff,” Hefford said during a Zoom interview with select members of the media. “It was with the work we did all year and it was clear that a change needed to be made.”
Hefford said the decision involved more than one person and was part of a year-long process, when asked if a rift intensified during the season between Darwitz and coach Ken Klee.
The decision to part ways with Darwitz is solely up to the PWHL because it operates all six franchises and employs their staff and coaches.
A person familiar with the situation confirmed a report from The Athletic about a rift between Darwitz and Klee, adding that team captain Kendall Coyne Schofield had sided with the coach. The person also said members of the PWHL’s human resources department met with Minnesota players last month about Darwitz’s management style.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league did not disclose those details.
Klee declined to comment in a text message sent to the KeynoteUSA. He will continue his role as coach and serve as interim general manager to oversee Minnesota’s selections in Monday’s draft.
The decision to cut Darwitz is surprising in terms of timing and significance following the conclusion of the PWHL’s first season.
Darwitz assembled the team that won the PWHL’s first championship with a 3-0 victory over Boston in a decisive Game 5 on May 29. Minnesota reached the finals by coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the first-round series to beat regular-season champion Toronto. in a best-of-five playoff final. Darwitz’s firing also comes days before Minnesota hosts the second PWHL draft on Monday.
Darwitz, 40, is one of the most recognizable faces in Minnesota hockey. A native of St. Paul, she is a three-time U.S. Olympian, three-time world champion and was part of a University of Minnesota team that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2004 and 2005.
This year, she was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation’s hall of fame.
“We fully recognize Natalie Darwitz’s iconic status in the state of Minnesota. Her incredible contributions to the PWHL, to building a championship team,” Hefford said. “And this is certainly not something we could have foreseen or wanted to happen. But that has led to Natalie and us separating.”
Klee is a former NHL defenseman who had experience coaching the United States women’s national teams. She took over as Minnesota’s coach in late December to replace Charlie Burggraf, who resigned citing family reasons.
Klee had previously been a finalist for the PWHL coach and general manager position.
Darwitz was hired in September and signed a one-year contract, which was standard for each of the centralized league’s six general managers and coaches. He then filled his lineup with a distinctive local flavor and representative of Minnesota’s rich hockey roots.
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