Minnesota
Natalie Darwitz is out as GM of Minnesota after building PWHL's first championship team
Natalie Darwitz’s tenure is over as general manager of the PWHL champion Minnesota franchise following an internal and external review, vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said Saturday.
Without going into detail on the findings, which included input from players and staff, Hefford called the decision a difficult but eventually necessary one for the betterment of the PWHL.
“The feedback to us was pretty direct and pretty clear that there wasn’t a path forward with the current personnel in place,” Hefford said during a Zoom interview with select members of the media. “It was with the work we did throughout the 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 whether a rift escalated over the season between Darwitz and coach Ken Klee.
The decision to part ways with Darwitz is solely the PWHL’s because it operates all six franchises and employs its staff and coaches.
A person familiar with the situation confirmed a report by The Athletic of a rift between Darwitz and Klee, while adding 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 regarding Darwitz’s managing style.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the league did not reveal those details.
Minnesota coach Ken Klee watches a video screen during a challenge in the second period of Game 2 of a PWHL hockey championship series against Boston, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Lowell, Mass. Credit: AP/Mark Stockwell
Klee declined to comment in a text to The AP. He will continue his role as coach, and serve as interim GM in overseeing Minnesota’s selections in the draft on Monday.
The decision to remove Darwitz is both stunning in timing and significance following the completion of the PWHL’s first season.
Darwitz assembled the team that won the PWHL’s first championship with a 3-0 win over Boston in a decisive Game 5 on May 29. Minnesota reached the final by rallying from a 2-0 first-round series deficit to beat regular-season champion Toronto in a best-of-five playoff final. Darwitz’s dismissal also comes days before Minnesota hosts the PWHL’s second draft on Monday.
The 40-year-old Darwitz is one of the more recognized faces of Minnesota hockey. From St. Paul, she’s a three-time U.S. Olympian, three-time world champion and was part of a University of Minnesota team that won consecutive NCAA titles in 2004 and ’05.
This year, she was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation’s hall of fame.
“We completely recognize the iconic status of Natalie Darwitz in the state of Minnesota. Her incredible contributions, to the PWHL, to building a championship team,” Hefford said. “And this is certainly not something that we could have foreseen happening or wanted to happen. But it has led to us and Natalie parting ways.”
Klee is a former NHL defenseman who had experience coaching U.S. national women’s teams. He took over as Minnesota coach in late December to replace Charlie Burggraf, who stepped down citing family reasons.
Klee had previously been a finalist for both a PWHL coaching and GM position.
Darwitz was hired in September and signed a one-year contract, which was standard for each of the centralized league’s six GMs and coaches. She then stocked her lineup with a distinct local flavor and representative of Minnesota’s hockey-rich roots.
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Minnesota
Timbers look to keep momentum going as they host Minnesota United FC | PTFC
![Timbers look to keep momentum going as they host Minnesota United FC | PTFC](https://images.mlssoccer.com/image/private/t_q-best/mls-por/iqekznusqyn5a5z1lrvi.jpg)
It’s Pride Night, presented by adidas, as the Portland Timbers (6th, 7-7-6, 27pts) – unbeaten in their last six matches – host Minnesota United FC (5th, 6-6-5, 29pts) on Saturday night at Providence Park at 7:30pm PT.
Viewing/Broadcast Details
🖥️ TV/Streaming: Live coverage available in English and Spanish on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Enjoy 25% off for the rest of the season when you subscribe today.
Match Details | All You Need To Know ↓
🏳️🌈 Pride Night: Purchase a special Timbers Pride T-shirt! Available only at PTFC Authenics locations at Providence Park, proceeds benefit Wild Diversity and their work to present a personal connection to the outdoors for Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color and the LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Additionally, Kourtni Capree Duv will be singing the national anthem as well as joining drag collective Hot Chocolate PDX for a special pregame performance outside Gate F from 5:45pm-6:15pm PT.
The Opponent: Minnesota United FC (5th, 6-6-5, 29pts)
The Loons arrive in the Rose City in need of a result to right their ship. They’re winless in their last four outings and have suffered three straight defeats. In fact, since beating the Timbers on May 18 they have dropped their form into a 1-4-2 stretch over that span. Head coach Eric Ramsay has stuck with a 3-4-3 formation in their last two games, despite not registering a point.
A lot of the finishing responsibility will fall on the shoulders of midfielder Robin Lod as he continues to push The Loons offense with 15 goal contributions (5g, 10a) this season. Canadian striker Tani Oluwaseyi leads the way in scoring with 7 tallies (to go with 4 assists), however he is out on international duty with Canada at the Copa América. In the midfield, winger Joseph Rosales has been a jack-of-all-trades for Minnesota – taking on the left-side of the pitch both offensively and defensively he’s delivered five assists already and leads the team in interceptions per game at 2.7. Ceterbacks Michael Boxall and Miguel Tapias hold the backline with veteran goalkeeper Clint Irwin likely inbetweeen the posts with Dayne St. Clair’s international duty absence.
Notes & Numbers
Home Sweet Home
In their last five matches at Providence Park, the Timbers have become increasingly assertive and are racking up the points. Following the loss to Seattle, the Timbers won two-straight, settled for a draw with Houston, and then defeated Vancouver making Providence Park a home sweet home.
#14
Timbers #14 Jonathan Rodriguez is currently riding an impressive stretch of form. He’s recorded a goal contribution in seven of his last eight matches and nine of his last 11, providing seven goals and three assists.
Since 5/18
The Timbers seem to have turned things around following their defeat at Minnesota in mid-May. Since May 18, Portland is undefeated with a 4-0-2 record with a +6 goal differential to show for and are on their longest unbeaten streak this year.
3+
After 20 matches, the offensive load has been distributed nicely across the Timbers attack. Portland are the only club in MLS with three or more players with eight or more goals this season.
Minnesota
Terrence Shannon Eager To Play Alongside Minnesota Timberwolves Star Anthony Edwards
![Terrence Shannon Eager To Play Alongside Minnesota Timberwolves Star Anthony Edwards](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_7082,h_3983,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/illini_now/01j1fk7yj1mk04kbrpt9.jpg)
Terrence Shannon was the primary scoring option the past two seasons for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Those will only have to serve as fond memories during his rookie NBA season. He enters as perhaps the third, fourth or even fifth option his first year with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The T-Wolves already have their superstar in guard Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 pick in 2020. So Shannon just wants to learn much as possible. He was drafted No. 27, becoming the Illini’s first player picked in the first round since Meyers Leonard in 2012.
“Ant is an amazing player,” Shannon said. “He’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA. That’s something I’m looking to do. I’m looking to be there right with him, compete with him, lock down the best players in the NBA.”
Edwards had the young Timberwolves two victories from making the NBA Finals. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the Western Conference finals. With Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns as the offensive leaders, the Wolves will look for defense and secondary scoring from Shannon in the beginning.
The Wolves drafted Shannon because they feel he could be the missing piece to help them reach the next level.
“I think he’s a three-position defender,” Wolves team president Tim Connelly said. “I think he’s an unbelievably competitive guy. He’s got size. Another downhill guy who’s going to play with pace.”
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
Follow our coverage and updates on Facebook
Twitter: @IlliniNow
Minnesota
Minnesota author Tai Coleman on families, hope and surviving America while Black
![Minnesota author Tai Coleman on families, hope and surviving America while Black](https://img.apmcdn.org/cbdba733d39284755daa4d10125a5d3c7a27d4c2/widescreen/508b19-20240627-a-side-by-side-photo-of-a-person-and-their-book-940.jpg)
Taiyon Coleman has been writing since she was a child. At age eight, she announced to her family that a novel was in the works.
Today, she’s a published author and a professor of literature at St. Catherine University. But the road from there to here wasn’t as straight-forward as you might think.
Coleman joins host Kerri Miller on Big Books and Bold Ideas this week to talk about what happened in the in-between. Some of it is detailed in her new collection of personal essays, “Traveling without Moving: Essays from a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America.”
But the deeper story is held in Coleman’s body, in her voice, in her strength. Don’t miss this vulnerable and moving conversation about mothers and ancestors, writing and truth-telling and the power of being a teacher.
Guest:
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